Yemeni government forces, backed by a major Saudi air campaign, have launched a large-scale offensive against Houthi forces around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The operation, dubbed “Dawn of Yemen,” aims to restore government control over key territory and ultimately retake the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.
Yemeni military officials said government forces, including the Southern Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield forces, had secured key positions around Bab el-Mandeb and taken control of Dhubab airport, while cutting the road linking Dhubab with Mokha. Saudi-led coalition officials said around 100 fighter jets were involved and that 324 “high-value” Houthi targets had been destroyed since the operation began.
Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said the offensive was intended to restore state institutions, recover territory and end Houthi control over the capital. However, battlefield claims remain contested, with Houthi sources denying government advances and independent verification of some reported gains still limited.
The offensive carries significance far beyond Yemen’s civil war. Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints. Houthi control of areas surrounding the strait had raised concerns over the security of international shipping and energy supplies.
The offensive also comes amid deeper regional military coordination under the Makkah Defence Pact, raising questions about whether the emerging security framework can translate into coordinated military action.
For Saudi Arabia and its partners, securing Bab el-Mandeb would therefore represent both a battlefield objective and a major strategic and economic development.
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