The New York Times reports:

The Saudi-backed government of Yemen on Sunday announced a major military campaign against the Houthi militia, a key Iranian ally, plunging the Middle East even deeper into war.

In a televised speech, Rashad al-Alimi, the leader of the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government, said that the government was seeking to reclaim all the territory it had lost to the Houthis over the past 12 years.

The government and the Houthis have been engaged in fierce battles in recent weeks, after the Iran-allied militia took control of the country’s Red Sea coast, increasing pressure on shipping routes and energy markets unsettled by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

The Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which supports government financially and militarily, have also attacked each other directly.
Mr. al-Alimi’s announcement appeared to eliminate any hope that a truce would be reached. In his speech, he said that the government’s military operations would continue “until the country is liberated.”

The Houthis also say that they are fighting to liberate Yemen, and have dismissed government fighters as Saudi mercenaries. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday that the group’s fighters “will not stop carrying out further painful operations against the Saudi enemy.”

The two sides have been battling since 2014, when the Houthis took over the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, forcing out the government. Saudi Arabia led a bombing campaign to try to restore the government, contributing to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people from violence, hunger and disease. The Houthis eventually created a de facto state in northern Yemen.

A truce in 2022 brought a fragile peace. But the conflict reignited this year, after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February.

The Saudi government has not publicly acknowledged any role in the new offensive announced by Mr. al-Alimi, and did not respond to a request for comment.

The Houthis have accused Saudi Arabia of launching hundreds of airstrikes in their territory in recent weeks, and any major ground operation by the Yemeni government would likely include the Saudis, according to analysts. [Continue reading…]