The Saudi ambassador to Yemen announces the “purification” of Bab al-Mandab from the remnants of the Houthis

The Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Muhammad Al Jaber, announced on Friday that Bab al-Mandab had been “cleansed” of the remnants of Houthi militants, as part of the battles that the Houthi group is waging against the Yemeni forces supported by the internationally recognized government. The Saudi ambassador to Yemen previously wrote, via his Twitter account on the “X” platform: “Blessed Friday, and victory for every Yemeni and Arab. Bab al-Mandab has been cleansed of the remnants of the terrorist Houthi militia.”

Battles have intensified in recent weeks between the Houthis and the Yemeni forces loyal to the internationally recognized government in many areas in western Yemen. Yemeni government forces - backed by Saudi Arabia - continue to press ahead with Operation “Yemen Dawn,” a large-scale offensive aimed at rolling back recent gains made by the Iran-backed Houthis.

The conflict intensified in July 2026, shortly after the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, as the Houthis launched missile attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities and tankers, in a move that reflected the expansion of the scope of the war in the Middle East. In response, the Saudi-led “Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen” launched air strikes in support of Yemeni government forces.