The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government reaffirmed its backing on October 4, pledging continued operational support for Yemeni forces. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said support would continue until state institutions were restored and Houthi threats to maritime navigation ended.

The announcement followed a declaration of military operations by Rashad al-Alimi, chair of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council. It also came amid reports of Houthi advances in western Yemen, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Coalition promises continued military backing

Al-Maliki said the coalition would continue its operations and provide full operational support to Yemen’s armed forces. He said its backing was intended to help restore state institutions and end Houthi control.

The scale and duration of that support remain unclear. Al-Maliki said Saudi Arabia and the coalition would stand with Yemen until its institutions were restored and the maritime threat ended.

Saudi security and shipping concerns

Al-Maliki cited attempts to target Saudi vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. He said these threatened regional and international security, freedom of navigation and international trade.

He also said Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia required continued measures to deter the group. His account included attempts to target Mecca and Medina, alongside attacks on Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, Najran, Taif and Yanbu.

The spokesperson accused the Houthis of imposing internal sieges, forcibly displacing residents and starving people. He also accused the group of looting resources for its war effort, recruiting children and damaging Yemen’s social fabric.

Yemeni leadership announces operations

Al-Alimi announced comprehensive military operations to recover territory still held by the Houthis. Separately, the Yemeni army announced an operation named the Battle of Liberation, aimed at restoring state institutions and ending Houthi control.

A Kuwaiti news outlet reported that the latest military escalation began in July 2026 and fighting accelerated in September. It said Houthi forces took strategic positions in Hodeidah and Taiz, two Yemeni governorates, including Mocha in Taiz.

The outlet also reported that Houthi forces reached Mayun Island, which overlooks the Bab al-Mandab Strait. It described the escalation as the widest since the relative calm associated with a truce that began in April 2022.