Yemen conflict escalates as Houthis target al-Makha and Marib in deadliest strikes since 2022 truce
Ballistic missile and drone attacks on Red Sea port and central provinces mark significant deterioration in security, with casualties reported in previous days but unconfirmed in latest strikes.
The armed forces of Yemen’s internationally recognised government have accused Houthi rebels of launching a fresh round of ballistic missile attacks on the Red Sea port city of al-Makha and residential areas in the central province of Marib. The strikes occurred on Monday, marking a significant escalation in hostilities that have reignited the country’s civil war following a fragile peace agreement reached in 2022.
Yemeni military officials did not confirm whether the Monday attacks resulted in casualties, though the violence follows a Houthi missile strike on al-Makha, also known as Mocha, on Sunday. That previous assault killed at least seven people and wounded 30 others, causing extensive damage to the port area. In a separate incident on Monday, a Houthi drone strike in the south-central province of Shabwa killed two Yemeni government soldiers and wounded seven others, according to local media reports.
In response to the bombardments, Yemeni forces reported targeting Houthi sites in eastern al-Jawf, northwestern Saada, and the al-Tibas area of central Marib. The tit-for-tat exchanges represent the deadliest violence in the region in years, underscoring the rapid collapse of the security stability that had prevailed since the UN-brokered truce in April 2022.
The current escalation is directly linked to the broader regional conflict initiated by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. Tensions spiked on July 13 when a Saudi air strike hit the runway of Sanaa airport, preventing the landing of an Iranian flight carrying a high-ranking Houthi delegation. In retaliation, the Houthis attacked the Abha airport in Saudi Arabia, imposed a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, and targeted Saudi vessels and oil facilities.
The Saudi-led coalition has responded by striking Houthi-controlled areas in Hodeidah and Kamaran island, while reinforcing Yemeni troops along the front lines to prepare for a potential ground offensive. The conflict, which originally began when Iran-backed Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, has historically killed hundreds of thousands of people before deteriorating into a deadlock.
United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg warned on Friday that Yemen faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the 2022 truce. He cautioned that the escalating violence risks jeopardising previous diplomatic gains and drawing the country into a wider regional confrontation with devastating consequences for its population.
