Saudi-Backed Yemeni Government Launches Major Offensive Against Iran-Backed Houthis, Risking Wider Regional War

• by Shimanta Das
• October 5, 2026

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has announced a major military campaign to recapture all areas controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis, backed by Saudi Arabia and supported by more than 200 US intelligence and military analysts. The offensive, launched on Sunday, threatens to open another front in the widening Middle East conflict and raises fears of a prolonged war in a country already devastated by over a decade of fighting. According to Reuters, the US is already providing intelligence to support Riyadh’s operations, while some regional and European nations are supplying mainly defensive military aid to the kingdom.

The new campaign begins at a perilous moment for Yemen’s government. The Houthis have made significant territorial gains in recent weeks and have strengthened their military capabilities over the past several years. They recently seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically vital choke point at the southern end of the Red Sea, following a lightning offensive last month that saw government forces collapse. The Houthis have maintained the initiative on the ground since then, and their recent attacks—which they claim caused major fires—were in response to what they described as 50 Saudi-led air and missile strikes in Yemen in the past 12 hours.

The broader regional context heightens the stakes. The conflict now stretches from the Israel-Iran war launched in February—during which Tehran responded by choking oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—to the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. With Saudi Arabia providing military support and the US offering critical intelligence, the offensive could draw in more external powers and further destabilise the region. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have shown no signs of backing down, and their recent gains near Bab al-Mandab underscore their ability to disrupt global shipping lanes.

As the campaign unfolds, the world watches closely. The involvement of over 200 US analysts and the Saudi military might signals a determined effort to roll back Houthi advances, but it also risks igniting a wider conflagration. For Yemen’s beleaguered government, the offensive is a high-stakes gamble to reclaim lost territory and restore its authority. For the region, it is another dangerous escalation in a multi-front struggle that shows no signs of abating.