The war in Yemen intensified after the internationally recognized Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a major campaign to retake territory controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. On October 4, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced that government forces had begun military operations intended to restore state authority across the entire country. His declaration followed weeks of Houthi advances, including gains around Taiz and along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, where control of territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has enormous strategic importance.

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces have launched ground offensives around Dhubab, Mokha, and other areas overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb, while Saudi Arabia has increased its air campaign against Houthi positions. Saudi-led forces say more than 100 combat aircraft have participated in operations supporting Yemeni government troops and protecting the strategic strait. Government forces claimed on October 5 that they had recaptured several important coastal areas, although battlefield claims from both sides remain difficult to independently verify.

Yemen’s civil war could resonate beyond its own borders because of its potential impact on commercial shipping and global energy supplies. Commercial vessels traveling between Asia and Europe normally pass through the strait before using the Suez Canal. Renewed Houthi control or attacks could force shipping companies to divert vessels around southern Africa, adding time, fuel costs, and insurance expenses to global trade.

The Houthis have responded by escalating missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia. Airports at Jazan and Najran were struck, injuring three people, while the Houthis have claimed attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure and other targets. Saudi Arabia, in turn, has continued airstrikes against Houthi-held areas, including Saada, al-Jawf, and the capital, Sanaa.

Yemen’s civilians will likely suffer the most as the war intensifies. Years of war have already devastated the country’s economy, health-care system, and infrastructure, and renewed large-scale combat threatens additional deaths, displacement, and food insecurity. Recent fighting has reportedly displaced well over 100,000 people, while battles around Taiz and other populated areas could create another humanitarian emergency. Saudi civilians and infrastructure are also increasingly exposed as Houthi missiles and drones reach airports, energy facilities, and cities across the kingdom.

Energy markets could see increased volatility because of the escalating crisis in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on its East-West pipeline to move oil toward the Red Sea as instability has disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly four million barrels per day have recently been rerouted through that system, making secure access to Red Sea export terminals increasingly important.

The escalating war in Yemen connects two of the world’s most sensitive energy and shipping chokepoints: Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. If fighting closes or seriously disrupts both, oil prices, freight rates, and consumer costs could rise sharply. What began as Yemen’s civil war has become part of a much broader regional struggle involving Saudi Arabia, Iran, and their allies, with global economic consequences likely.