Yemeni army says 1,747 Houthis ‘neutralised’ in over 1,100 military operations
The Yemeni army said on Monday that government forces had seized the Dhubab district and strategic positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait following clashes with the Houthis.
Yemen’s official Saba News agency said forces from the Nation’s Shield and the pro-government Southern Giants Brigades, backed by the Popular Resistance, took control of Dhubab in western Taiz province.
A military source told Saba that the forces launched a large-scale operation with air support targeting Houthi positions and forces across several areas of the district.
The forces advanced and took control of key positions while cutting supply lines and routes leading to Bab el-Mandeb, the source said.
The source said an unspecified number of Houthi fighters were killed or injured in the clashes, while several military vehicles and equipment were destroyed or damaged.
The Southern Giants Brigades separately announced the launch of what they called a “decisive” military operation against the Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb area.
Yemeni army says 1,747 Houthis ‘neutralised’ in over 1,100 military operations
The Yemeni army said that its forces had “neutralised” 1,747 Houthi members in 1,122 military operations across several fronts in the country.
Military spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said in a statement on US social media platform X that the operations targeted artillery and rocket-launcher positions, defensive fortifications, approach and advance routes, supply lines and means, reinforcements and military buildups, as well as command structures and command-and-control centres belonging to the Houthis.
He said the operations were conducted in Saada, Al-Jawf and Taiz provinces, as well as along Yemen’s western coast.
According to al-Nuzaili, the operations involved warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles, rocket launchers, and snipers.
Read: Houthis claim missile and drone attacks on Saudi Aramco after 50 strikes on Yemen
He said the operations also destroyed or disabled 364 military vehicles and transport and supply assets.
Al-Nuzaili added that government forces would continue their operations to retake state territory and institutions and extend national sovereignty.
Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday announced the launch of comprehensive military operations against the Houthis, saying the armed forces, security forces and other military formations had been ordered to retake the territory held by the group.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.
Fighting has intensified since July, with a major escalation in September that saw the Houthis take control of the strategic city of Mokha, and advance to Mayyun Island overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group has also targeted Saudi Arabia, including energy sites.
Iran’s oil minister resigns, president appoints replacement
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, Iran’s state-run Tasnim news agency reported Sunday, citing a presidential official.
Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy head of communications at the Iranian president’s office, said President Masoud Pezeshkian has accepted Paknejad’s resignation.
Hamid Bovard has been appointed acting oil minister to oversee the ministry’s affairs, Tabatabaei added.
No reason was given for Paknejad’s resignation, which came amid unprecedented US sanctions on Iran, particularly targeting its oil sector.
Bovard previously served as the head of the state-run National Iranian Oil Company and has spent most of his career working in oilfield operations.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Saturday that Iran has no oil shipments remaining at sea and will generate zero oil revenue this week.
On August 25, the US Treasury Department announced the launch of Operation Economic Outcast, a broad campaign aimed at completely isolating Iran from the global financial system.
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for energy supplies. The US military later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Efforts to end the war have continued since a June framework deal, which seeks to pave the way for a final peace agreement covering navigation through the strategic waterway and Iran’s nuclear program.
Saudi-led coalition pledges continued support for Yemeni government against Houthis
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen pledged on Sunday to continue supporting the Yemeni government and armed forces in efforts to restore state institutions and end the Houthi takeover.
In a statement, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki described Houthi attacks against Yemenis as “flagrant violations that have brought calamity and suffering to the Yemeni people for many years.”
He accused the group of imposing internal blockades, forcibly displacing residents, looting resources and diverting them toward the “war effort.”
Al-Maliki also accused the Houthis of recruiting children and damaging Yemen’s “social fabric.
He said Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including attempts to target Mecca and Medina, warranted continued measures to deter the group.
Al-Maliki also cited attacks on Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, Najran, Taif and Yanbu.
He cited attempts to target Saudi vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, describing them as a “threat to regional and international security, freedom of navigation and international trade.”
Al-Maliki affirmed Saudi Arabia’s “inherent right” to defend its sovereignty, protect its security and take operational measures to deter the Houthis and halt their violations.
Saudi Arabia and the coalition would continue to stand alongside Yemen until state institutions are restored, he said.
He added that the coalition would also continue its support until the Houthi threat to maritime navigation in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb is ended.
Earlier Sunday, Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced comprehensive military operations against the Houthis to reclaim the remaining territory under their control.
The Yemeni army also announced the launch of what it called the “battle of liberation” to restore state institutions and end the Houthi takeover.
Tanker reports multiple explosions near vessel off Yemen: UK maritime agency
A tanker reported multiple explosions near the vessel off Yemen’s coast on Sunday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
In a warning, UKMTO said the incident occurred 60 nautical miles south of the port city of Mokha.
The tanker’s company security officer reported seeing multiple explosions in close proximity to the vessel, the agency said.
“The crew are reported as safe and no environmental impact has been reported,” it added.
Authorities are investigating the incident, UKMTO said, advising vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
The warning did not identify the tanker or indicate what caused the explosions.
