The Houthis are escalating their attacks in Yemen with the aim of controlling new strategic areas

Over the past month, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have significantly escalated their involvement in the conflict in the Middle East. They extended their control over large areas of the Red Sea coast, and launched missile and drone attacks targeting energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, and some of their attacks reached the capital, Riyadh, over the weekend.

Now, their campaign appears to be entering a new phase, represented by a large-scale attack aimed at isolating government forces in an area of ​​central Yemen.

Some analysts believe that the Houthis' ultimate goal is to control the entire country.

The Houthis have already seized a long stretch of Yemen's coast overlooking the Red Sea - one of the world's most important waterways - and also control the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait at its southern end.

Now, they are seeking to control the mountainous region of Taiz, which includes vital roads used by government forces.

According to the analyst specializing in Yemeni affairs, Muhammad Al-Basha, the field situation is still changing, and there are still risks that the Houthis will be able to besiege the city of Taiz. However, it appears that the defenses did not witness a collapse similar to what happened on the West Coast front, when a large area - including the port of Mocha - fell within hours.

Al-Basha added that the government still controlled - as of Monday - a vital crossroads linking Taiz and Aden, in an area housing hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people.

Violent battles are also taking place to the east, specifically in Ma’rib Governorate, according to a number of analysts specializing in Yemeni affairs. Marib is an oil-rich region and has long been a target that the Houthis seek to control.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government announced on Monday that its forces targeted Houthi fighters and supply lines in the strategic Bab al-Mandab region overlooking the Red Sea, and in Al-Bayda Governorate in central Yemen.

Al-Basha told CNN that the cities of Taiz and Ma'rib are major strongholds, adding: "If the Houthis take them, that will be the end of the game, but their defenders are fighting a fierce battle."

The Houthis control a large area of ​​western Yemen - where more than 70% of the population lives, including the capital, Sanaa - while government forces control part of southern Yemen and the sparsely populated eastern region of the country.

It remains unclear whether the Houthis intend to pressure the city of Aden itself; The matter depends largely on the ability of government forces to improve coordination among themselves, following the disastrous withdrawal witnessed on the West Coast Front.

In this context, Ibrahim Jalal, a researcher at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said: “The Houthis do not need to defeat Saudi Arabia militarily - which is almost impossible for them - to achieve their goals.”