Yemen's Government Forces Claim Mokha Recapture as Houthis Retaliate with Airport Strikes

Yemen's internationally-recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a major offensive on Monday, claiming to have recaptured the strategic Red Sea city of Mokha and secured the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The operation, announced as "Operation Yemen Dawn," involved pro-government forces including the National Shield, Giants Brigades, and Tihama Resistance units, supported by Saudi-led coalition air strikes. However, conflicting reports emerged: while the Yemeni military initially stated forces had captured Mokha, unnamed government and military sources later told Reuters and AFP that forces had only reached the city's outskirts. Government sources confirmed control of Dhubab military airfield, located 45 kilometers south of Mokha, and stated they had cut the road linking Dhubab to the Bab al-Mandab area.

The Houthis denied losing either Mokha or Bab al-Mandab, characterizing the claims as "Saudi propaganda" through their state media. In response, the Iran-backed group reported launching retaliatory strikes on Saudi Arabia, including attacks on Jazan and Najran airports that caused injuries and damage. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam accused Saudi Arabia of committing "dozens of massacres" and warned that the group would "bear all the consequences." The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Co-ordination Centre declared Saudi airspace—except above Mecca and Medina—unsafe for civilian aviation, citing it as "a theatre of operations."

The offensive came after the Houthis reportedly cut a mountain road near Taiz, effectively encircling government forces and residents. Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi stated that "all opportunities for de-escalation had been exhausted" and called the operation necessary to liberate Yemen from Houthi control. Saudi Arabia's military coalition reported providing "round-the-clock" air support and destroying 324 "high-value" targets since the offensive began. According to Houthi media, Saudi air strikes killed a schoolgirl and a woman in Sanaa's Sanhan and Saawan districts on Monday.

The escalation prompted regional responses: Turkey and Pakistan, allies of Saudi Arabia, held an emergency meeting in Riyadh and agreed to rapidly deploy military forces under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned "the continued Houthi cross-border attacks" on Saudi Arabia and expressed deep concern over the "sharp escalation in fighting." Saudi Arabia called for permanent UN Security Council members to support Yemen's government. The offensive also reportedly extended to other fronts, including Sanaa, the capital captured by the Houthis at the start of Yemen's civil war 12 years ago.