Yemeni forces retake positions southwest of Taiz and intensify strikes on the Houthis; the battle shifts from a wave of advances to a test of consolidation, while Hormuz pressures oil and shipping

September 14, 2026

Monitoring and Analysis | Strategic Media Department – BETH Agency

The map of fighting in Yemen has begun moving in the opposite direction, after days in which the Houthi advance dominated the scene.

The Yemeni Armed Forces retook positions that the Houthi militia had infiltrated southwest of Taiz, and advanced toward Ghayl Bani Omar, alongside airstrikes targeting Houthi gatherings, reinforcements and vehicles across a number of fronts.

At Jabal Jardan, overlooking Al-Shamayatayn and Al-Wazi'iyah, Yemeni forces managed to retake a position that Houthi elements had temporarily advanced into, while airstrikes targeted positions in Dhubab, Al-Wazi'iyah, Hayfan, Jabal Habashi and Mokha. Field sources had confirmed in the previous hours that attempts by the Houthis to advance west of Taiz had been repelled, while government forces announced the downing of five Houthi drones.

What is new here is not the size of the territory retaken so far, but rather the halt of a one-way direction in the battle.

After a series of rapid Houthi gains on the western coast, government forces have begun moving from repositioning to an organized response and the retaking of points that the militia could use to consolidate its advance eastward and southward.

Taiz Becomes the Key to the Battle

The fighting around Ghayl Bani Omar and Jabal Jardan is not separate from the coast.

The area lies within a network of routes linking western Taiz with Al-Wazi'iyah, Dhubab and Mokha; therefore, preventing the Houthis from consolidating their presence there puts pressure on their ability to expand their coastal gains inland.

The distribution of airstrikes across Dhubab, Mokha, Al-Wazi'iyah, Hayfan and Jabal Habashi also indicates that the operations are no longer about defending a single point, but rather about striking lines of movement, supply and concentration across more than one front.

This is the first field change since the latest wave of Houthi advances.

Bab al-Mandab Has Not Closed

An important piece of information also emerges, correcting many circulating headlines.

Despite the Houthis' approach toward the strait and claims of their control over positions and islands of strategic value, ship-movement data over the weekend showed that traffic through Bab al-Mandab remained close to the average of the previous ten days, at around 27 ships per day.

In other words, the passage itself has not yet turned into a strait closed to international trade.

Hormuz Is More Choked

The picture is different in the east.

The latest data showed that commodity-vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend declined to only four outbound ships and ten inbound ships, compared with a recent average of around 14 crossings per day, and far below pre-war levels of around 125 commercial vessels per day.

This means that the center of the global economic choke point remains Hormuz first, while an American inability to break the chokehold is becoming clear despite its military superiority.

Oil Above $107

Markets received Monday morning’s developments with another jump.

Brent crude rose by more than 3% in early trading, reaching around $107.82 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate climbed to around $103.22.

The market is now facing three sources of risk at the same time: disruption in Hormuz, the temporary shutdown of the Saudi East–West pipeline after the attack on it, and rising military risks around Bab al-Mandab.

However, the new Yemeni development could add a counterweight to the market if government forces succeed in halting the Houthis and pushing them away from the areas most sensitive to shipping.

Muscat Falters

On the political track, the meeting that had been scheduled for today in the Sultanate of Oman between Iran and Gulf states to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz was not held, amid growing indications that it may be cancelled.

The meeting had been expected to bring together the foreign ministers of eight Gulf littoral states and discuss shipping arrangements and safe corridors for commercial vessels, before Muscat announced its postponement due to a lack of full consensus.

Bahrain’s position further complicated the chances of the meeting taking place; it confirmed that it will not participate in any collective meeting that includes Iran before diplomatic relations between the two countries are restored, and called for any arrangements concerning navigation in Hormuz to be based on international law and to include all GCC states.

BETH Reading

Day 194 differs from the previous days in one main point:

The Houthis are no longer the only party on the battlefield.

Yemeni forces have begun testing their ability to regain the initiative, first in southwest Taiz, with air cover extending to the coastal fronts.

If these operations continue and expand, the Houthi gains will turn into an open front that will be difficult to confront.

In contrast, Iran still holds the strongest pressure card in Hormuz, despite what America says; shipping there is in fact declining, while Bab al-Mandab remains commercially open despite the seriousness of the military situation.

This creates an important distinction between the two straits:

Hormuz is an existing shipping crisis; Bab al-Mandab is a threat, but one that remains under control.

What Do We Expect?

Over the coming hours and days, Taiz and the western coast appear to be the real center of the test.

Most likely, Yemeni forces will try to consolidate what they have retaken around Jabal Jardan and Ghayl Bani Omar, then expand pressure toward Al-Wazi'iyah and Dhubab; because retaking road junctions and high ground is militarily more important at this stage than pushing directly toward the cities.

As for Mokha, it will remain the most symbolic target. Retaking it will most likely not be the first step, but rather the result of broader success in cutting Houthi supply lines and isolating the surrounding fronts.

Most importantly, the coming hours will answer one question:

Was what happened southwest of Taiz merely the retaking of limited positions, or the beginning of a counteroffensive that changes the direction of the coastal battle?

If the retaking expands from mountain positions to roads and supply routes, we will be facing the beginning of an entirely different phase of the war.

Day 194 has therefore begun with a new signal: the Houthi advance is no longer going unanswered; and the real battle now is not over what was taken, but over what can be held.

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Image:
Hormuz... when the passage becomes an ambush.

The road is open... and passage is at your own risk.