The Yemeni Civil War began in 2014 when Houthi forces (Ansar Allah), backed by Iran, seized the capital Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognized government. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to restore the government. The conflict has produced one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with widespread famine, cholera outbreaks, and massive civilian casualties. Since late 2023, the Houthis have escalated attacks on commercial and military shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza, triggering retaliatory US and UK airstrikes. A fragile UN-brokered truce periodically reduces ground fighting, but no lasting peace agreement has been reached. The Houthis continue to control large portions of northern Yemen including Sanaa, while the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council governs southern and eastern territories from Aden.
The United States launched a new wave of airstrikes targeting Houthi missile storage facilities and drone launch sites in Sanaa, Hodeidah, and Saada governorates, following continued Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The strikes destroyed several ballistic missile depots, according to CENTCOM.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed a ballistic missile and drone barrage targeting the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group operating in the Red Sea. The US Navy confirmed intercepting multiple projectiles with no damage reported to naval assets.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza, Houthi leadership declared a temporary suspension of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Major shipping lines cautiously signaled potential route restoration through the Suez corridor pending verification.
Houthi forces fired a Palestina-2 hypersonic ballistic missile toward central Israel, which was intercepted by Israeli Arrow-3 defense systems over the Mediterranean. The attack marked an escalation in the Houthis' declared campaign against Israel in solidarity with Palestinian factions in Gaza.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg convened indirect talks between Houthi representatives and the Presidential Leadership Council in Muscat, Oman. Discussions focused on extending the informal truce, prisoner exchanges, and humanitarian access to Taiz, but concluded without a formal agreement.