Forces of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen have recaptured several key areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Yemeni officials said. The strategic waterway, one of the world’s busiest shipping chokepoints, has been a flashpoint in the broader regional conflict for years, and the latest advances mark a significant shift in momentum for forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Among the gains, Yemeni officials said forces allied with the government have retaken the crucial town of Dhubab, located just north of the strait. Witnesses on the ground said they saw government tanks and troops entering the towns as the operation unfolded, offering visible confirmation of the territorial shifts described by officials.
Fighting Continues Near the Strait
The battle for control of the coastline is not yet finished. A government source cited by Reuters said troops were still battling Houthis near the strait on Monday, indicating that despite the reported recaptures, the rebels have not been fully dislodged from the broader area.
The Houthis, for their part, claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities, airports and military bases as fighting escalated on Yemen’s western coast. Those claims underscore how the conflict has expanded beyond a localized ground campaign into strikes targeting critical infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia itself.
The current round of violence did not erupt without warning. The latest flare-up began in mid-July, when the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing the airport in Sanaa to prevent the landing of an unauthorized Iranian flight. That accusation set off a chain of escalating confrontations that has now culminated in the government-aligned push to reclaim territory near Bab el-Mandeb.
Washington’s Role Comes Into Focus
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that it was expected that the Saudi-backed government in Yemen would hit back at the rebels to reclaim territory. His comments framed the offensive as a predictable response to years of Houthi gains rather than a surprise development.
Rubio also addressed the question of American involvement directly. Asked if the Saudi-led coalition coordinated the action with the United States, he said that Saudi Arabia and the US have a defense agreement but would not offer more details. The vague response left open questions about the precise nature of US involvement in planning or executing the current offensive.
The secretary of state went further in justifying the Saudi-backed campaign. The Yemeni government was ousted from some of its territory by a Houthi campaign and the Saudis have come under attack, and they have a right to defend themselves, Rubio said. That framing positions the current fighting as a defensive response rather than a renewed war of choice.
Behind the scenes, American support appears to extend well beyond rhetorical backing. The US has provided support to Saudi Arabia in its ongoing campaign against the Houthis, including intelligence-sharing, target identification, and planning for the offensive, according to a regional official and a US official speaking anonymously. Such assistance would represent a notable deepening of US involvement in a conflict from which Washington had previously sought distance.
A Shifting US Posture
That distance was not always the case, nor is it a straightforward return to the past. The US had supported the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis early in the Yemen war, before quitting the coalition in recent years, according to Yemeni and regional officials cited in reporting on the conflict. The years-long gap in direct US backing makes the reported resumption of intelligence-sharing and planning support all the more significant, suggesting a recalibration of American policy toward the war.
On the battlefield, Saudi air power has played a prominent and visible role in the push to reclaim Houthi-held territory. The Saudi-led coalition spokesman, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said 100 fighter jets were providing support to the forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. That scale of air support signals the extent of military resources Riyadh has committed to the current offensive, far beyond what a purely defensive posture might typically require.
The combination of ground advances, sustained Houthi counterattacks, and reported American backing paints a picture of a conflict that, despite years of relative stalemate, has entered a new and more volatile phase. Control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait carries implications well beyond Yemen’s borders, given its importance to global shipping routes that pass through the narrow waterway separating the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa.
For now, the situation on the ground remains fluid. Yemeni officials have pointed to tangible gains, including the recapture of Dhubab and other areas near the strait, while government sources acknowledge that fighting persists in the vicinity. The Houthis’ claimed strikes on Saudi infrastructure suggest they retain the capacity to respond asymmetrically even as they lose ground territorially. With Rubio declining to detail the extent of coordination between Washington and Riyadh, the full scope of American involvement in shaping the offensive’s trajectory remains unclear, even as officials confirm that support in some form is underway.
