The conflict between Yemen's Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has intensified sharply, putting the security of the Red Sea energy corridor under the most severe threat since the 2022 ceasefire. The Houthis have launched large-scale, multi-wave strikes on Saudi territory, with Saudi Aramco's refining facilities bearing the brunt, pressuring international oil prices upward.

According to CCTV News, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced in a statement on the 4th local time that the group had launched missile and drone attacks on two Saudi Aramco facilities in the Riyadh and Khurais areas.

According to further CCTV News reports, in the early hours of the 6th local time, powerful explosions were heard again in the Saudi capital Riyadh, after explosions had already occurred in Riyadh on the evening of the 5th. The Houthis stated in a declaration on the night of the 5th that, in response to Saudi military operations against Yemen over the past 24 hours, the group carried out three rounds of military operations that day, deploying large numbers of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones to strike Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, the Rabigh Aramco refinery, as well as Abha Airport, Khamis Mushait base, the Akifa military camp in Asir Province, and multiple sensitive targets in Najran and Jizan provinces.

Meanwhile, according to Xinhua News Agency, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, delivered a speech in Riyadh on the 4th via Yemen National Television, announcing that after weeks of military mobilization, the Yemeni government had officially launched a large-scale military operation to recapture areas recently controlled by the Houthis, and had ordered the armed forces, security agencies, and allied military forces to begin executing the operational plan. A full-scale exchange of fire has taken shape, and the security risks to Red Sea shipping and energy export corridors have risen sharply.

Of particular note is the contest over the western Yemeni port city of Mocha. According to the Saba News Agency, affiliated with the Yemeni government, government forces announced they had retaken this strategic port; the Houthis denied losing it, saying fighting was still ongoing. Mocha is located in western Taiz Province and commands a key passage along the Red Sea coast, holding important strategic significance for controlling the situation along the Red Sea littoral. There are currently clear discrepancies between the two sides' accounts, which have yet to be independently verified.

Houthi Three-Round Strikes Target Saudi Energy and Transportation Lifelines

According to CCTV News, the targets listed in the Houthi statement on the night of the 5th covered Saudi Arabia's most important civil aviation hub and core energy infrastructure. Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport temporarily suspended air traffic due to the attack, and the Rabigh Aramco refinery was also within the strike range. The Rabigh refinery is an important refining facility under Saudi Aramco, located on the Red Sea coast, and the extent of damage has not yet been independently verified.

This round of attacks is one of the largest strike operations the Houthis have launched against Saudi territory to date, employing weapons including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. The tactic of synchronized multi-target strikes demonstrates a significant improvement in the group's long-range strike capabilities. The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia immediately issued a security alert, strongly advising American citizens in the kingdom to maintain heightened vigilance and follow guidance issued by Saudi civil defense authorities.

Yemeni Government Forces Launch Counteroffensive, Battlefront Extends to Red Sea Coast

According to media reports, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, under the cover of Saudi air power, launched attacks on Houthi positions in the Zubab area overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, claiming to have captured multiple key positions including Zubab Airport. Saudi coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki stated that since the operation began, the coalition had destroyed 324 "high-value targets," with 100 aircraft participating in the operation codenamed "Yemen Dawn," providing round-the-clock air support for ground forces.

Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani subsequently claimed that government forces had achieved "effective control" over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but the Houthis denied this, saying fighting was still ongoing. According to media reports, a government source said that fighting at a military base near the strait had not yet ended.

Government Forces Launch Counteroffensive, Mocha Port Ownership Disputed

According to Xinhua News Agency, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced in Riyadh on the 4th via Yemen National Television that after weeks of military mobilization, the Yemeni government had officially launched a large-scale military operation, ordering the armed forces and allied forces to begin executing the operational plan to recapture areas recently controlled by the Houthis.

On the military operations level, Saudi-backed government forces, under the cover of Saudi air power, launched attacks on Houthi positions in the Zubab area overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, claiming to have captured multiple key positions including Zubab Airport. Saudi coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki stated that since the operation began, the coalition had destroyed 324 "high-value targets," with 100 aircraft participating in the operation codenamed "Yemen Dawn," providing round-the-clock air support for ground forces. Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani subsequently claimed that government forces had achieved "effective control" over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but the Houthis denied this, saying fighting was still ongoing. A government source also said that fighting at a military base near the strait had not yet ended.

Of particular note is the contest over the western Yemeni port city of Mocha. According to the Saba News Agency, affiliated with the Yemeni government, government forces announced they had retaken this strategic port; the Houthis denied losing it, saying fighting was still ongoing. Mocha is located in western Taiz Province and commands a key passage along the Red Sea coast, holding important strategic significance for controlling the situation along the Red Sea littoral. There are currently clear discrepancies between the two sides' accounts, which have yet to be independently verified, and the final outcome of the Mocha ownership question will have a direct impact on the balance of power along the Red Sea coast.

Houthis Push Deep into Southern Taiz, Cutting Government Forces' Supply Lifeline

On Yemen's internal battlefield, the Houthis' ground advances have also drawn significant attention. According to multiple Yemeni media reports, the Houthis have captured the strategic town of Turbah in southern Taiz Province, located at the junction of two main roads connecting Taiz with Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen's internationally recognized government.

The U.S. think tanks Critical Threats Project and Institute for the Study of War (CTP/ISW) assess that Houthi control of Turbah will "severely constrain" the government forces' ability to reinforce and supply the Taiz front line, and may block the government forces' retreat routes if the situation deteriorates.

Meanwhile, according to Xinhua News Agency citing Yemeni government officials, the Houthis have occupied the residence of Yemeni Parliament Speaker Sultan al-Barakani in Wadi Barakani and established positions there. According to Xinhua News Agency, other Yemeni sources said the Houthis had also entered the area where the residence of Presidential Leadership Council Chairman al-Alimi's family is located in the Mawasit area. These highly symbolic political actions are seen by observers as deliberate attempts by the Houthis to create public opinion pressure.

Bab el-Mandeb Strait Risks Rise, Red Sea Energy Corridor Under Pressure

The core geopolitical risk of this round of conflict lies in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This strait is a key shipping node connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean and onward to the Suez Canal, through which a large volume of global oil exports and commodity trade passes. The Houthis have previously demonstrated multiple times their ability to threaten commercial shipping through missiles, drones, and unmanned vessels, and this large-scale advance on land along the Red Sea coast means their threat to this strategic waterway has escalated from long-range strikes to potential physical control.

News of attacks on Saudi Aramco's refining facilities, combined with continuing tensions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, has significantly heightened market concerns about the stability of Middle East energy supplies. The Yemen war had been relatively frozen since the UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, and this sudden full-scale eruption marks the region entering a new phase of heightened uncertainty. Investors' repricing of Red Sea shipping insurance costs and crude oil supply risk premiums is likely to continue.