Yemen’s war is back: A new battle for Sanaa and the Red Sea

What the report says

Yemen is seeing its most serious fighting since the 2022 UN-brokered truce, according to Al Jazeera, as government-aligned forces and Houthi fighters trade attacks across several provinces. The latest clashes involve Taiz, al-Bayda and al-Jawf, with the government launching counterattacks this week and the Houthis saying they repelled advances and struck Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the internationally recognised government.

Al Jazeera reports that the fighting is tied to a broader contest over Sanaa and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic Red Sea waterway that has become more important as regional tensions have risen. The article says violence escalated after incidents in July around Sanaa airport and then intensified further when Houthi forces pressed toward western Taiz and southern Hodeidah. The government appears to be aiming to recover territory from the Iran-backed group, while analysts quoted by the outlet warn the conflict is unlikely to end quickly.

The piece also places the renewed war in a regional context, linking it to wider instability involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping. It notes that Houthi attacks on vessels and on Saudi territory have raised the stakes for both commercial traffic and energy infrastructure. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera say the Houthis remain a capable force, and that even if outside tensions ease, Yemen’s internal war and territorial disputes would still remain unresolved.