Yemen Conflict Escalates as Government Launches Air Attacks on Houthis

Yemen's internationally recognized government has launched a series of air attacks against Houthi positions, marking a significant escalation in the conflict, with some of the country’s heaviest fighting since a fragile truce in 2022. Government warplanes carried out at least 15 strikes on Friday against Houthi positions, gatherings and vehicles in the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah, according to the Yemeni military. The air assault supported government forces fighting a major Houthi offensive towards the Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. These strikes are not the first by government aircraft since Yemen’s fragile truce began to unravel in July. On July 25, government aircraft struck Houthi missile and drone launch sites and weapons depots in Marib and al-Jawf, according to Yemeni military officials cited by Reuters. Less than two weeks earlier, on July 13, the government stated its forces struck the runway at the Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. However, the latest attacks mark a significant step up in the government’s use of its own air power against the Houthis, after Saudi-led coalition aircraft provided much of the aerial firepower. The fighting unfolds as the Houthis attempt to advance through western Taiz and southern Hodeidah towards al-Makha, territory overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Control of this area could strengthen the Houthis’ position along the Red Sea and impact international shipping routes.