Yemen prepares ‘biggest offensive ever’ against Houthi rebels with US support

Meetings have been under way this week between the Saudi Arabia-based government-in-exile, known as the Yemen Leadership Council, and various factions to plan and coordinate the campaign against the Houthis

, who have seized control of the capital Sanaa, Red Sea ports and key populated areas since 2014.

Progress appeared to have been made by Thursday, with President Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi praising “broad national alignment,” and the readiness of combined forces to wage “a battle for salvation” against the Houthis.

“The Houthis are a permanent threat to international peace and security,” Alimi said.

The Houthis are the largest faction in the Iran-led Axis of Resistance, which includes Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas – both severely weakened by Israel since October 2023, along with various Iraqi militia groups.

According to Emily Milliken, an associate director of the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank’s Middle East programmes, the Yemeni government may be mobilising 80,000 troops to reclaim Hodeidah, the largest port on the Red Sea and a critical logistics hub for the Houthis, as well as a vital lifeline for Yemen’s civilians.