Yemen Retaliates Against Houthis as Civil War Looms
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- Yemen's internationally recognized government said its forces retaliated on Saturday against Iran-backed Houthi rebels after days of attacks on military positions, in what officials warned could tip the country back into full-scale civil war.
- Houthi forces struck military positions in the oil and gas-rich provinces of Marib and Hadramout two days ago, killing at least 17 soldiers, according to the Yemeni government.
- Houthi attacks on Friday hit civilian neighborhoods and a sprawling displaced persons camp near Marib, killing 2 people and wounding 14 others, including children.
- Yemeni military spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili said Saturday that forces had "carried out military action against terrorist elements" of the Houthi militia in several areas, without elaborating.
- The Yemen conflict dates to 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa with Iranian support; Saudi Arabia led a coalition starting in 2015, but its bombing campaign ultimately failed to oust the group.
- The escalation unfolded as the broader Middle East awaits a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian officials issuing conditions for US compliance on Saturday.
Why it matters: Yemen's government-Houthi war has been largely frozen since a 2022 truce, so attacks inside energy-producing provinces like Marib and Hadramout represent the most serious military relapse in years and could pull Saudi Arabia — whose prior bombing campaign failed to dislodge the Houthis — back into active combat in a theater it has tried to exit.
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