The Yemeni government is reportedly mustering a massive army in preparation for a ground offensive – supported by US firepower and intelligence – against the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement, which has been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea and launching missiles at Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
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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.
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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.
