Is the Yemeni government getting ready to attack the Houthis?

"For the first time in years, the government, led by President Rashad al-Alimi, is exuding confidence. Al-Alimi has announced the formation of a Supreme Military Committee (SMC) that will integrate all the disparate anti-Houthi forces into the Yemeni military. (Al Jazeera) In a speech on Saturday, al-Alimi said that the SMC would prepare for the next phase if the militias refuse peaceful solutions, in a clear threat to the Houthis."

"The Houthis appear to have recognised the threat, with several high-ranking officials expressing the need to be prepared to fight. The Houthis currently feel emboldened in their ability to withstand attacks, having become an influential regional player with their strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Israel. They have also held out against attacks from the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel since 2023, and prior to that, the Saudi-led coalition that backs the Yemeni government."

"The Yemeni rebel group, which is backed and funded by Iran, has controlled the capital Sanaa and much of the country's northwest since 2014. Many see it as being in part successful for the past decade because its opponents have been so divided. The Yemeni government has been weak, unable to rule all of the areas that were nominally under its control, let alone retake territory from the Houthis."

A Saudi-backed campaign has enabled the Yemeni government to claim control of all territory not under Houthi domination and boosted presidential confidence. President Rashad al-Alimi announced a Supreme Military Committee to integrate disparate anti-Houthi forces into the Yemeni military and warned the SMC would prepare for further action if militias refuse peaceful solutions. The Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and much of northwest Yemen since 2014 and receive Iranian backing, recognize the emerging threat and have signaled readiness to fight. The Houthis feel emboldened by regional influence gained through strikes on Red Sea shipping and resilience against international attacks, viewing survival as victory.

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