Al-Alimi announces the launch of the operation to liberate Sanaa; government forces announce control of Bab al-Mandab after retaking Dhubab and strategic positions, and advance northward under air cover amid a siege of Houthi elements on Mayyun

Aden | BETH

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi announced on Monday the launch of “Dawn of Yemen” to restore state institutions, liberate the capital Sanaa, and end the Houthi coup. In a rapidly developing field development, government forces announced control of Bab al-Mandab, after retaking Dhubab and strategic positions around the strait.

The forces continue to advance northward toward Mokha under air cover, in parallel with the encirclement of Houthi elements in the Bab al-Mandab sector and on Mayyun Island, indicating that the western coast has become the first decisive axis of the new operation.

Dawn of Yemen Expands

100 fighter jets take part in the operation and destroy 324 targets; government forces advance in Al-Jawf, Marib and the western coast, and announce the start of a strategic offensive toward Sanaa

The “Dawn of Yemen” operation has entered a broader phase, with the Coalition to Support Legitimacy announcing the participation of 100 fighter jets at dawn on Monday and the destruction of 324 high-value targets, alongside continued around-the-clock air cover for the Yemeni Armed Forces on the ground and aerial protection of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Government forces continue to advance in Al-Jawf, Marib and the western coast, while the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the start of a strategic offensive toward Sanaa, in parallel with successive airstrikes on the capital and its surroundings.

On the western coast, the advance toward Mokha continues after taking control of Bab al-Mandab and retaking Dhubab and strategic positions, strengthening government control over the maritime passage and giving the forces a foothold for advancing northward.

In Al-Jawf and Marib, warplanes continue to sweep wide areas, while all fronts in Marib have intensified over the past hours amid advances by government forces.

The offensive under “Dawn of Yemen” is moving across multiple fronts in the east, north and west of the country, in parallel with successive airstrikes on Sanaa, as the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the start of a strategic offensive on the capital.

What Has Changed?

The most important shift now is that “Dawn of Yemen” is no longer an operation aimed only at opening the coast.

It has become a multi-front operation:
the coast to secure Bab al-Mandab,
Al-Jawf and Marib to open pressure from the east,
and Sanaa as the declared strategic objective.

Dawn of Yemen Consolidates Its Advance

Al-Alimi follows the course of operations and praises the field progress; Bab al-Mandab is secured and government forces advance along the western coast as the battle expands across several fronts

The “Dawn of Yemen” operation continued its field advance on Monday evening, while Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi held a series of calls with members of the Council, the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, and commanders of military fronts and sectors to follow the progress of the operation and developments across the various theaters of combat.

Al-Alimi praised what he described as the field progress achieved by the armed forces and military formations, particularly on the western coast of Taiz Governorate, pointing to the retaking of areas and strategic positions in Dhubab and Bab al-Mandab and the securing of the maritime passage.

Official data also showed that Yemeni forces carried out 1,122 targeting operations across the Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and coastal fronts, striking command-and-control centers, supply lines and military concentrations using fighter aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and rocket launchers.

In a parallel development, local authorities and political and social components in several governorates announced their support for the operation, while statements from Taiz pointed to field gains in Bab al-Mandab, Dhubab, Mokha and the surrounding strategic positions.

The key development this evening is that “Dawn of Yemen” is no longer merely the announcement of an offensive; the operation has begun producing officially acknowledged facts on the ground, foremost among them the consolidation of control over Bab al-Mandab and the western coast.

What Did Foreign Media Say About “Dawn of Yemen”?

American Media
It has begun treating “Dawn of Yemen” as a strategic event that is reshaping calculations in the Red Sea and exposing the limits of previous US policy toward the Houthis.

Iranian Media
So far, it does not appear to have developed a coherent narrative around the loss of Bab al-Mandab or the widening government advance; it also appears not to have fully absorbed the shock yet, which in itself is noteworthy.

British Media
It is treating the operation as a broad counteroffensive that has reopened the battle for the coast and the Red Sea, with particular focus on Bab al-Mandab as a global trade route and on the government forces’ ability to maintain momentum and coordination.

French Media
It is focusing on the rapid shift in the balance of control, giving particular weight to the offensive toward Sanaa and the scale of the strikes, while viewing Bab al-Mandab as a test of the government and coalition’s ability to regain the initiative.

Chinese Media
It is covering developments in a more restrained tone, describing them as a broad military campaign to retake areas controlled by the Houthis, with emphasis on the government’s transition from preparation to action.

Russian Media
It is focusing on the operation as a government move to restore full territorial control and reassert state authority, while highlighting that the decision came after the announced exhaustion of opportunities for a peaceful settlement.

Conclusion:
The West sees it as a strategic shift in the Red Sea,
Iran is still searching for a narrative,
China describes it as a broad escalation,
and Russia focuses on restoring the state and sovereignty.