Houthi Forces Trapped as Yemen’s Government Strikes Back on Red Sea Coast
Yemen’s government recaptures key positions, severing Houthi supply lines along the Tihama coast and threatening.
Yemen’s Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) has launched a large-scale counteroffensive, dubbed Operation Dawn of Yemen, after Houthi forces made significant gains along the country’s western coast. The Houthis had captured key locations including Mocha, Dhubab, Perim Island, and the Ras Menhali peninsula in the past month, but their rapid advance left their troops vulnerable to counterattacks.
The IRG, backed by allied forces, has since regained the initiative. Government troops recaptured the Dhubab airstrip and reached the N2 coastal highway, cutting off Houthi units farther south. These isolated forces now remain trapped on Perim Island and the Ras Menhali peninsula. The IRG’s immediate goal is to retake Dhubab’s harbor, with further plans to advance on Mocha and the strategic port city of Hodeida. Securing Hodeida would sever the Houthis’ supply lines, dealing a major blow to their insurgency.
Air Power Shapes the Battlefield
The IRG’s success hinges on air superiority, particularly in the Tihama coastal region. The flat, exposed terrain of the N2 highway—Yemen’s only major north-south route—makes it an ideal target for airstrikes. Social media footage has shown IRG forces advancing north toward Mocha along the N20 road, supported by Saudi-led airstrikes.
The Royal Saudi Air Force has openly conducted close air support missions over Yemen for the first time in weeks, a direct response to recent Houthi attacks on Aramco oil facilities near Riyadh and Khurais. International support has been critical: a British Royal Air Force Airbus Voyager KC3 refueled aircraft off Jizan on October 5, while U.S. and French air forces conducted refueling operations near Djibouti. According to reports, a U.S. intelligence and target acquisition team is now stationed in Saudi Arabia, coordinating strikes with IRG and Saudi forces.
Houthi Offensives Stall in Central Yemen
While the IRG pushes forward on the coast, Houthi forces have launched a separate offensive in central Yemen, attempting to cut off government supply routes between Taiz and Aden. Despite heavy attacks, they have failed to capture Taiz, where local militias and armed residents—many with no allegiance to the Houthis—have fiercely resisted. Yemen’s deeply ingrained culture of armed households has made it difficult for the Houthis to consolidate control, and the critical road linking Taiz to Aden remains under government control.
President Rashad Al-Alimi has declared the IRG’s ultimate objective: “to recapture the capital Sana’a and end the Houthi insurgency.” While progress has been made, the conflict remains far from resolved.
“The objective of Operation Dawn of Yemen is to recapture the capital Sana’a and to end the Houthi insurgency.”
Rashad Al-Alimi·President of Yemen’s Internationally Recognised Government
The escalation poses risks for global shipping. While traffic through the Bab el Mandeb strait appeared normal early on October 5, vessel movements were already slightly reduced. If fighting intensifies along Yemen’s southwest coast, disruptions to one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints could follow.
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