Saudi‑Led coalition forces, backed by 100 fighter jets, recaptured Dhubab, Bab, and Hadeid on Monday, securing air protection over the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait and blowing up hundreds of Houthi positions.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesman, said his rebels fired ballistic and cruise missiles, drones at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Rabigh refinery and Abha airport, claiming a scorched‑earth strategy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the United States would support Saudi Arabia in any retaliatory push, citing a defence agreement that provides intelligence sharing, target identification and operational planning.
Pakistan and Turkey, through a defence pact, pledged to deploy forces to Saudi Arabia after an emergency meeting in Riyadh, though Ankara and Islamabad said troop numbers and timelines were still under discussion.
The offensive comes after a four‑year ceasefire broke down when the Houthis seized Turbah and other villages on Taiz's outskirts, pushing the Saudi‑backed government to mobilise troops; displaced families in the region now await humanitarian aid amid the renewed fighting.
Next steps include the coalition’s planned push toward Taiz’s provincial capital, with the US preparing to coordinate air strikes and the international community watching for potential escalation.