Yemen government declares all-out war to retake Houthi-held territory
Yemen's Saudi-backed government has launched military operations to retake Houthi-held territory after the Houthis claimed an oil refinery strike in Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh denies.
How it was covered
- BBC One carried 70% of the airtime.
- Channel 5, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Yemen's Saudi-backed government has begun military operations across the country aimed at taking territory from the Houthi movement. Government forces say they have attacked Houthi positions, with the capital Sana'a under sustained attack. The Houthis have held Sana'a for more than a decade.
The head of the Yemeni government has framed the campaign as an all-out war. He announced the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state across the entire national territory. The move is unlikely to have been made without a green light from Saudi Arabia, which backs the government.
The escalation follows Houthi claims that they struck an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. A Houthi military spokesman said the group targeted an oil facility near Riyadh with drones and missiles. The Houthis said another oil refinery was struck this weekend. The Saudi-led coalition dismissed the claims as misleading and mocked the Houthis for chasing imaginary victories.
The Houthis have also tried to block shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key route for global energy supplies. They have acted to help their main backer, Iran, in a conflict that has become another knock-on effect of the Iran war. Previous years of fighting ended in stalemate, followed by a ceasefire from 2022 until this summer, when the Houthis tried to stop Saudi oil passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The group launched a lightning strike and took control of the entire coastline.
The front line remains focused around the key city of Taiz, which is still controlled by government forces, and the battle there hangs in the balance. Fighting is also concentrated near the coastline, where the Houthis are reported to have made more gains. If they secure the region, they will harden their grip on the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The government's declared aim is a tall order. It could widen the war across Yemen and raise the price Saudi Arabia pays, with costs also passed to consumers through pressure on oil prices. For now, it is not clear whether the government attacks represent a new phase or whether the confrontation will remain deadlocked.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| The Houthis claimed they struck an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, a claim denied by Saudi or Saudi-led coalition officials. | ||
| The Houthis were reportedly trying to block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to aid their backers in Tehran. | Reported by BBC One | |
| Yemeni government forces said they attacked Houthi positions across Yemen. | ||
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Its early bulletin reported government attacks on Houthi positions and said it was unclear whether they marked a new phase. A later bulletin escalated the framing, leading on a Yemeni government declaration of all-out war and reporting Houthi gains near the coast and pressure on oil prices. It gave more strategic detail than the other BBC bulletin on the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the risk of the war widening.
- “I announce the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state across the entire national territory.”
- “They come after the Iran-backed Houthis said they'd struck an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, which the Saudis deny.”
- “It's reported that the Houthis have made more gains.”
This bulletin stuck to the earlier phase of the story. It reported government attacks on Houthi positions, the Houthi refinery claim and Saudi denial, and the risk of a wider conflict linked to Iran. It did not carry the later declaration of all-out war, and it stressed that it was not yet clear whether the attacks marked a new phase.
- “In Yemen, government forces say they've carried out attacks on positions held by Houthi rebels across the country.”
- “The attacks have widened across Yemen, but it's not yet clear if this represents a new phase in the conflict”
- “The Saudi-led coalition dismissed this as misleading, mocking the Houthis for chasing imaginary victories.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.