Taiz, the third most populous city in Yemen, located about 140 kilometers northwest of Aden, is now completely encircled by the Houthis, who have taken control of the main supply routes.
- The city had already been largely cut off from government-held areas since October 6.
- Taiz sits as a pivot between the country’s northwest, controlled by the Houthis, and the south, controlled by the government.
- For several years the group has been seeking to seize the city, which it besieged from 2015 to 2024 without ever managing to take it.
Despite the counteroffensive led by government forces with the support of Saudi Arabia, the Houthis continue to advance, and their push could weaken Aden’s position along the Red Sea coast, particularly around Dhubab.
- According to cartographic data from the Institute for the Study of War, as analyzed by the magazine, the Houthis have expanded by more than 2,500 square kilometers the territory they control around Taiz between September 16 and October 12.
- This rapid progress suggests that the counteroffensive launched by the government and Saudi Arabia at the start of the month has not, at this stage, managed to halt the group’s advance.
Indeed, the resources deployed by Riyadh appear insufficient to inflict significant losses on the group. The kingdom also fears an escalation that could plunge the country into a long and costly conflict.
- The Houthis struck Riyadh’s airport twice on October 10 and 11, causing at least 14 deaths and several hundred injuries. The first of these attacks was the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
- According to a diplomatic source, Israel had proposed to Riyadh that it join the campaign against the Houthis, an option that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly refused, fearing the reaction of public opinion.
Several countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Turkey, have strengthened their military presence in Saudi Arabia or announced sending defensive equipment since the escalation of Houthi attacks in September. The United States, for its part, provides intelligence services and targeting assistance to the Saudi armed forces, and has deployed an additional Patriot missile battery.