Yemen's Leader Calls for General Mobilization Amid Houthi Offensive
Quick Look
Yemen's Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi called for general mobilization to restore state control after Houthi rebels seized the Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandab Strait, offering amnesty to defectors and urging civilians in Houthi areas not to send children to fight.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's Saudi-backed government for over a decade. A 2022 truce left the conflict largely frozen, but fighting has recently flared up again amid wider regional tensions involving Iran.
Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen's Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, on Friday called for a general mobilization in the war-torn country.
"I call upon the sons of our great people to engage in general mobilization and national mobilization, to rally around their armed and security forces," al-Alimi, who is also Supreme Commander of the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a televised address.
The head of the governing body urged his compatriots to join the government forces weeks after Yemen's government was dealt a major blow by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The Houthis have seized control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast in a lightning offensive, allowing them to fully control the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, igniting global fears about shipping through the chokepoint.
What else did Yemen's leader say?
In his address, al-Alimi also said that the objective of the mobilization is to "restore state institutions and extend sovereignty over the entire national territory," including the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since 2014.
He added that anyone who defects from the Houthis to the government will be pardoned in an upcoming amnesty.
Al-Alimi addressed residents of Houthi-controlled areas, urging them to protect their children and not send them to fight alongside the Houthis.
"The state does not view you as a party to the conflict but as its people and partners," he said.
Houthis escalate conflict
For more than a decade, the Houthis have been fighting Yemen's Saudi-backed government. Although a 2022 truce left the conflict largely frozen, fighting has recently flared up again amid the wider conflict involving Iran.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have intensified their missile and drone attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia. They declared a maritime blockade and attacked Saudi targets in an attempt to stifle Saudi oil exports.
The Houthis accuse the kingdom of besieging Yemeni areas under their control. They attacked Riyadh for the first time in years over the weekend, marking a major escalation.
Edited by: Rana Taha
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia will continue in the short term as part of their maritime blockade strategy.
Likely · Within weeks
Yemen's government will attempt to regain control of Sanaa and other Houthi-held territories through the mobilization effort.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- How effective will the mobilization call be in generating troop numbers?
- What is the timeline for the promised amnesty for Houthi defectors?
- Will the Houthis retain control of the Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandab in the near term?
