Yemen’s prime minister says escalation does not determine outcome of confrontation
Yemen’s Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani said at a government meeting in the temporary capital Aden that the difficult situation on the front line in recent days does not mean the end of the confrontation or determine its outcome. According to him, battles are assessed not by the outcome of a single day or a change in positions, but by the state’s ability to regain the initiative.
Anadolu Agency reports, citing Yemen’s state-run Saba agency. The Cabinet reviewed the course of military operations and the state of combat readiness, the humanitarian situation caused by Houthi escalation and population displacement, as well as government measures to mitigate its consequences for citizens.
Government statement
Al-Zindani assured residents of various provinces that the government places their security first. He also stressed that the current escalation, despite its seriousness, will not halt the work of the state or create a vacuum that, according to him, could be exploited by the Houthis and the forces behind them.
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Changes on the line of contact
The prime minister’s statement came amid reports of significant changes in territorial control. The Houthis announced the capture of several areas in the western coastal provinces of Hodeidah and Taiz, as well as islands in the Red Sea, including Mayyun Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
At the same time, Yemeni government forces reported advances in the province of Al-Jawf, which borders Saudi Arabia, and their approach toward its administrative center, Al-Hazm. They also reported retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets near Mocha and in areas of the provinces of Taiz, Lahij, and Al-Dhale, claiming the destruction of large concentrations of fighters, military equipment, and weapons. In addition, government forces said they had repelled a large-scale attack on Marib.
Since April 2022, Yemen had maintained relative calm after nearly 12 years of war between government forces supported by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthis. The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and significant territories of the country in 2014. Since late 2023, after the start of the war in Gaza, they have intensified attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
