RismadarVoice Reporters
October 5, 2026
Yemeni government forces say they have captured Dhubab district and strategic positions near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait as part of a renewed military offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis.
The reported advances followed fighting in western Taiz governorate, where government forces and allied fighters have been attempting to reverse recent Houthi gains around one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, has announced a broader military campaign aimed at retaking Houthi-controlled territory and restoring government control over state institutions.
The operation, described by government officials as “Dawn of Yemen,” is expected to extend beyond the Bab al-Mandeb area, with al-Alimi saying the campaign ultimately seeks to retake the capital, Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since 2014.
The Houthis have disputed some of the territorial claims made by forces aligned with the internationally recognised government, leaving the precise battlefield situation subject to competing accounts.
The renewed fighting around Bab al-Mandeb has heightened concerns about maritime security because the strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for international shipping.
The escalation in Yemen comes as tensions involving Iran and the United States continue elsewhere in the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was “no military solution” to Tehran’s conflict with Washington and argued that negotiations remained the only viable route to a settlement.
Araghchi nevertheless warned that Iran was prepared to respond more forcefully if subjected to further military action.
Maritime security concerns have also intensified around two of the region’s major shipping routes.
A tanker was recently reported struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while a separate vessel reported multiple explosions nearby off Yemen’s coast.
In the incident off Yemen, the explosions were reported about 60 nautical miles south of Mokha. The vessel’s crew was reported safe.
The developments underline the growing connection between renewed fighting in Yemen and the broader regional confrontation involving Iran and the United States, with both the Bab al-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz facing heightened security risks.
