Yemen's Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government declared on Sunday, October 4, the start of a major military campaign to recapture all territory held by the Houthis, in what would be the country's most significant escalation since the 2022 truce collapsed this year. The Saudi-led "Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen" pledged full operational support the same day. The announcement came as the Houthis claimed they had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Aramco oil sites in Riyadh and Khurais — claims Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm.
What did al-Alimi announce?
In a televised address, Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, said the government's armed forces would press the offensive "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia," ordering the armed forces, security forces and all military formations to begin carrying out their assigned tasks under approved plans. He said the decision followed "the Houthi militias' continued mobilization, escalation and attacks, as well as their threats against civilians, facilities, neighboring countries, and international shipping lanes," in the words reported by CNN, and called on regional allies and international partners to support the council's forces.
A government military spokesman, Majid Al-Nuzaili, followed with a separate statement saying forces had begun a "battle for liberation" and calling on Houthi-aligned fighters to lay down their arms, while saying the government remained committed to protecting civilians during the offensive.
How did the coalition and the Houthis respond?
The coalition answered the same day. Spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the coalition would continue providing "full operational support" to Yemeni government forces in efforts to restore state institutions and end "the Houthi coup," accusing the Houthis of continuing attacks against Saudi Arabia and international shipping in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb strait. "Such threats undermine regional and international security, jeopardize freedom of navigation and international trade, the lifeblood of the global economy," he said, as reported by CNN.
The Houthis responded with their own escalation claims. The group said it had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco sites in Riyadh and the Khurais area, claiming the attacks caused major fires, in response to what it said were 50 Saudi-led air and missile strikes in Yemen in the preceding 12 hours. Reuters reported there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia of the strike claims — and both sides' battlefield claims should be treated with caution until independently verified.
Why is this happening now?
The formal declaration caps a week of rapid escalation. It turns what Reuters described last week as a planned assault — officials told Reuters the Saudis would lead aerial combat with Yemeni forces fighting on the ground — into an announced, government-authorized campaign.
It also comes at a moment when the Houthis have held the initiative on the ground. Last month the group carried out a lightning offensive down the Red Sea coast, seizing the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait and roughly 150 km of coastline in a matter of weeks, giving it new leverage over a key international shipping route. In the last 48 hours, the Houthis made further gains on strategic hilltops near Taiz, advancing on the last road between the city and Aden, Reuters reported — a move that would effectively besiege Yemen's third-largest city, home to hundreds of thousands of civilians and thousands of government troops.
The United States is already providing intelligence to support Riyadh's operations in Yemen, including targeting information for Saudi air operations, a Western diplomat told Reuters. Separately, Saudi Arabia is set to convene officials from Turkey and Pakistan in Riyadh on Monday for a Strategic and Political Defense Committee session, CNN reported.
What is the humanitarian toll so far?
The renewed fighting has already forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and three out of every four families in parts of Yemen are going hungry because of the surge in fighting, the World Food Programme said last week, as reported by CNN. The UN has estimated the Yemen war killed 377,000 people by the end of 2021 through direct and indirect causes.
Not financial advice. Figures are snapshots checked at publication time, not live prices, and do not reflect any recommendation.
Related: our [report on Saudi Arabia's planned Bab el-Mandeb offensive](/articles/0600-saudi-arabia-plans-bab-el-mandeb-offensive-houthis) and [today's report on the Houthis' claimed Aramco strike](/articles/1030-houthis-claim-aramco-riyadh-strike).
