Houthi fighters have intensified their offensive in south-western Yemen, capturing the strategic Red Sea port of Mokha on 10 September and consolidating troops for further operations around Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city and cultural capital. The seizure marks a significant escalation following the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely held for four years, giving the Houthis control of territory overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical shipping corridor connecting Europe and Asia. The breakthrough has raised international concerns about potential disruptions to regional oil supplies and global trade routes.
Taiz, located at a vital intersection between Houthi-controlled northern territories and government-held southern areas, has become the focal point of heavy fighting. The city remains hemmed in by front lines in multiple directions, with government forces holding the centre while Houthis control positions to the north and east. The most intense recent battles have occurred on the western approaches, where both sides are fighting for high ground that would determine control over the route south and potentially influence the outcome at Mokha.
Government forces backing the internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council face challenges beyond military ones. The checkpoint-laden route to Taiz reveals a fractured command structure, with different commanders controlling separate stretches of road. Despite the active fighting, the city’s civilian life continues with shops and restaurants operating, though residents live under constant threat from shelling and gunfire. A local resident told of two mortars striking his property, prompting him to send his children to displacement camps while he remained to care for livestock.
The Houthis, whose Iran-supplied arsenal now prominently includes drones, continue facing international scrutiny over recruitment practices. Despite signing a UN action plan in 2022 pledging to end the practice, reports of child soldier recruitment persist. A Saudi-led coalition supports the government through weapons supplies and air strikes on Houthi positions, while the Houthis have responded with drone and missile attacks on south-western Saudi Arabian cities and infrastructure.
Casualties from the front lines are mounting, with Taiz’s al-Thawra hospital receiving constant streams of injured fighters and civilians, including children caught in the crossfire. A twelve-year-old herding goats suffered shrapnel injuries from reported Houthi mortar fire, exemplifying the humanitarian toll of the renewed conflict.
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