The Houthis confirm their control over the western coast of Yemen and the government announces a counterattack

The Houthis confirmed today, Tuesday (October 6, 2026), that they are tightening their grip on the gains they achieved on the ground, after they took control of the entire western coast of Yemen and the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait region.

The military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, said on Telegram that his forces "have control over all their field gains," adding that they carried out dozens of strikes targeting Yemeni government forces in the Al-Jawf and Ma'rib governorates, and continue to pursue them in the remaining districts of Taiz Governorate.

In a surprise attack in September, the Iranian-backed Houthis took control of the western coast of Yemen overlooking the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait region, including the strategic city of Mokha in western Taiz Governorate.

Battles have been taking place on several fronts in Yemen for weeks after the renewal of the war that had been dormant in the repercussions of the conflict between the United States and Iran, while the Houthis seek to control the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait and launch missiles and drones at Saudi cities and facilities.

The government talks about “big gains”

In exchange for the Houthis' announcement, the Yemeni government said that its forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, made rapid progress on Monday to regain control of the coast overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, reaching the city of Mokha, and expelling the Iran-allied Houthis from most of the areas they seized last month.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government, supported by a Saudi-led military coalition, announced two days ago the start of a counter-attack to restore areas controlled by the Houthis, especially those that fell recently.

Reuters quoted four government sources as saying that the forces of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, supported by intense Saudi air strikes, reached the outskirts of the city of Mokha late on Monday, at a time when Houthi fighters withdrew towards the mountain highlands. The Ministry of Defense announced that it had regained control of the city.

This advance, if confirmed, would weaken the Houthis' control over one of the vital oil lanes in the Red Sea, which has fueled energy market turmoil along with Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the group may still be able to attack ships using drones from other locations.

"Militarization of conflict"

In a related context, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern about the escalation of fighting in Yemen, and condemned the Houthi attacks, according to a United Nations spokesman.

“The Secretary-General wants and continues to want the parties to reduce tensions,” said Farhan Haq, Guterres’s deputy spokesman.

The spokesman added that Guterres does not believe that "further militarization of the conflict, including the intervention of external forces, will be beneficial."

The renewed fighting has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The United Nations International Organization for Migration reported on Monday that about 184,000 people have been displaced since the renewed conflict.