Yemeni government forces seize key positions near Bab el-Mandeb: report

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces seized key positions on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday, military and government sources said, as they fought to reverse last month's advances by the Iran-backed Houthis and drive them from the vital waterway.

What is happening at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait?

Yemeni government forces have taken large parts of Dhubab district, which overlooks Bab el-Mandeb, and are asserting full control with heavy air support from a Saudi-led coalition.

Houthi-aligned media earlier denied that government forces had made advances in the area. Three military sources and one government source told Reuters of the gains.

Why is the fighting near Bab el-Mandeb important?

Fighting has raged along several frontlines in Yemen for weeks after a dormant civil war erupted in a spillover from the US-Iran conflict. The Houthis are seeking to control the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities and infrastructure.

With Gulf energy exports already restricted by Iran's closure of the Hormuz Strait, the fighting in Yemen has threatened another major oil export route. This has pushed up global prices and raised new risks in a region already aflame.

How is Saudi Arabia backing the Yemeni offensive?

The internationally recognised Yemeni government announced on Sunday the launch of its offensive to recapture territory. President Rashad al-Alimi swore to fight "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia".

Saudi Arabia, which arms and trains Yemeni government forces, is backing the campaign with air power. It has also sought logistical help from allies to push back the Houthis, restore free traffic in the Red Sea and end the group's attacks on its territory.

Where else is fighting taking place in Yemen?

While the war has raged on several frontlines, the heaviest fighting has been in the southwest. This includes the coastal area near the strait and the hills around the city of Taiz, where the Houthis are trying to surround government forces.

A Houthi-run news agency on Monday cited a military source as saying that the group had driven government forces from the al-Mawasit district of Taiz province, reaching the home of Alimi, head of Yemen's interim presidential council. The mountainous district sits close to the main road running from Taiz to Aden, the last route that government forces have had into the city, which has been on the frontlines since early in the civil war.

How did the Yemen conflict begin?

Yemen's conflict began after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year with an air campaign aimed at restoring the government and ousting the Iran-backed group.

The fighting quickly ground to a bloody stalemate, with most frontlines stalled. This led to a major humanitarian crisis in what was already the poorest Arab state, until a ceasefire was agreed in 2022 that held until this summer.