Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces launched a major offensive against Houthi-controlled territory near the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb strait. Operation Yemen Dawn, supported by 100 Saudi coalition aircraft, recaptured the town of Dhubab, located just north of the waterway that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis responded to the offensive with attacks across the border. The Iran-aligned group claimed strikes on Riyadh's international airport, an oil refinery and military bases throughout Saudi Arabia, though no independent verification of these claims was provided.
The offensive marks an escalation in the Yemen conflict at a sensitive moment for regional security. Pakistan and Turkey agreed to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia in support of the kingdom's defense, signaling broader international involvement in the conflict.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait handles roughly 12 percent of global maritime trade and sits between Yemen and Djibouti. Control of territory along this corridor carries outsized strategic weight for shipping routes connecting Europe to Asia. The Houthis have previously launched attacks on commercial vessels and military assets in the Red Sea, which connects to the strait.
Saudi Arabia leads a multinational coalition that has intervened in Yemen's civil war since 2015. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. The Houthis, backed by Iran, control much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-backed government holds the south and east, though control remains contested across multiple provinces.
No timeline was given for how far the offensive aims to advance or what the strategic objectives beyond Dhubab may be. Euronews did not report casualty figures or the exact composition of forces involved beyond the aircraft count.