Houthis mobilise for potential new war in Yemen

Yemen’s Houthi movement has mobilised forces in the territories it controls, raising the prospect of a full‑scale war after four years of relative calm. On Wednesday the Houthis claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on two Saudi‑flagged ships in the Red Sea, saying the strikes were aimed at vessels that defied a Saudi‑imposed port blockade.

At the same time, fighting erupted between Houthi fighters and forces loyal to the internationally recognised Yemeni government in the southwestern governorate of Dhale, with more than 30 casualties reported on both sides. The Houthis continue to hold Yemen’s north‑west, including the capital Sanaa, and have withstood attacks from the Yemeni government, a Saudi‑led coalition and its partners, the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel over the past decade.

Analysts note that the strategic environment has shifted, making a renewed large‑scale conflict more difficult for the Houthis, though the possibility of a broader regional destabilisation remains. An accompanying analysis identifies five potential battlefronts—such as the oil‑rich provinces of Marib and Al‑Jawf—that could shape any future escalation.