The Houthi armed group, which receives backing from Iran, launched missile attacks against Yemen’s interim government in the southern city of Aden on Thursday. Five people were killed and 16 wounded in a strike on the Al-Maashiq Presidential Palace, according to Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani. Among the casualties were guards and civilian employees, though Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and other senior officials were reported to be safe. On the following day, two additional missiles struck the grounds of Aden International Airport as a passenger plane prepared to depart for Cairo, marking the second attack on the facility in less than a week.
Aden serves as the interim capital of Yemen after the internationally recognized government relocated there in 2014 following the Houthis’ seizure of the capital, Sanaa. The Houthi military spokesman characterized the attacks as strikes against what he termed “Saudi military operations headquarters,” while the Houthi news agency claimed the group was targeting military installations and weapons storage facilities. The escalation reflects a broader deterioration in Yemen’s security situation, as fighting that had largely paused under a ceasefire has reignited. In September, the Houthis launched an offensive along the Red Sea coast, capturing territory that overlooks the strategically significant Bab al-Mandeb strait.
The Saudi-led coalition responded with Operation Dawn of Yemen, a counteroffensive launched earlier this month involving approximately 100 fighter jets—the coalition’s first acknowledged air operations since 2022. Ground fighting has intensified particularly in Taiz governorate, with both sides reporting significant military and civilian casualties. The Houthi-affiliated Health Ministry reported 124 civilian deaths since early September, while coalition-aligned sources cited high numbers of Houthi fighters killed in recent engagements.
International responses to the escalation have been swift. Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for public diplomacy attributed the hostilities to Iranian encouragement, a claim Tehran denied through its Foreign Ministry spokesman. Canada’s embassy in Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Security Council both condemned the attacks and called for de-escalation. The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization also issued a statement opposing recent strikes on civilian aviation infrastructure. A UN special envoy reported that Yemen had returned to full-scale warfare, underscoring the significance of the resumed conflict for regional stability.
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