Yemen’s government is on the attack against the Houthis. What has changed?

Yemeni forces are trying to reverse Houthi gains, aided by heavier air power and renewed international support. Save Share Yemen’s internationally recognised government wants to show that it has finally taken the initiative against the Houthis in the country’s long-running war. The announcement ofOperation Dawn of Yemenon Monday to restore state authority across the country was quickly followed by a military offensive on the southern Red Sea coast. The initial aim is to reverse gains made by the Houthis last month, when the Iranian-backed group took control of one of the world’s most important waterways,the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. But the ultimate goal of the operation is to retake the areas of the country held by the Houthis for more than a decade, including the capital, Sanaa, which they seized by force in 2014 and later imposed their own government. It is a lofty ambition, and the achievements so far have been modest – most notably alimited advanceinto areas near Bab al-Mandeb. Still, the attacks indicate that the Saudi-backed Yemeni government operation is being conducted in a more organised manner – particularly notable after last month’s capitulation and loss of the Red Sea coast to the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God). The main issues faced by government forces in early September included a lack of cohesiveness among the groups fighting against the Houthis and a lack of military preparedness, as well as what analysts have described as Houthi infiltration of government forces’ communications. It is too early to say whether those problems have been resolved, but the inability of the Houthis to secure the highlands overlooking the areas they conquered in the southern Red Sea has left them vulnerable to a counteroffensive. There are a number of other factors that, when taken together, suggest the government’s shift to the attack may bring about more success than it has enjoyed since fighting resumed in Yemen in July, ending a fragile truce that had been in place since 2022. Most notable has been the involvement of Saudi Arabia, which is providing heavy aerial support. On Monday, the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government said that 100 fighter jets had participated in the offensive, its first acknowledgment in four years – since a 2022 truce – that it had resumed air attacks against the Houthis, despite reports of strikes in September....