Saudi-Backed Forces Claim Control of Bab el-Mandeb

There is a particular gravity to a claim of victory in a war that has already lasted a decade—a claim that arrives not as a conclusion but as a new chapter, and that must be weighed against the reality of contested ground. On Monday, forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government announced they had recaptured the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Houthi rebels, launching a major offensive under air cover from a Saudi-led military coalition. The Houthis denied the gains, calling the claims "completely untrue" .

The offensive, dubbed "Yemen Dawn," began early Monday with more than 100 fighter jets providing support to government forces . Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani confirmed that government troops had seized key positions in the Dhubab district, the narrowest point of the strait, including the Dhubab airfield, cutting off Houthi supply routes . The Saudi-led coalition spokesman, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said the coalition had secured "air protection" of the strait and destroyed hundreds of Houthi targets .

The offensive came just after the Houthis seized the town of Turbah on Sunday, a key position on the road linking Taiz with Aden. The rebels have been advancing toward Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, in a series of gains that have threatened to encircle government forces there . The Houthis had earlier captured the strategic city of Mokha and several Red Sea islands in early September, giving them control of the Yemeni side of Bab el-Mandeb—a chokepoint through which 12 percent of global trade transits .

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. has provided intelligence sharing, target identification, and planning support for the offensive, though he emphasized that Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have a defense agreement and that the Saudis "have a right to defend themselves" . The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh warned American citizens to be vigilant about possible drone or missile attacks .

The human cost continues to mount. The United Nations says about 184,000 people have been displaced since the war resumed . Houthi-run media reported two killed and seven wounded in strikes on Sanaa province . President Rashad al-Alimi said the operation aims at "restoring state institutions" and "liberating" Sanaa, vowing to fight "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia" . The Houthis, for their part, threatened to attack any aircraft flying in Saudi airspace .

For now, the claims and counter-claims continue, as they have for years. Government forces say they have secured the strait. The Houthis say they have not. Fighting continues at a military base near the waterway, and the rebels are pressing their advantage near Taiz . The war has widened once more, and the terms of its ending remain as distant as ever.

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Sources: The Associated Press, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters, The Guardian