Yemen government calls general mobilisation after Houthi Red Sea gains

September 26, 2026 at 05:46 PM2 min

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Yemen's internationally recognised government has called for a general mobilisation of the population to push back against the Houthis. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, made the call in his first speech since government forces were routed from the Red Sea coast. The mobilisation comes as the Houthis captured Mocha and Mayyun Island in September, giving them control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Key Facts

Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, called for a general mobilisation in his first speech since government forces were routed from the Red Sea coast.
Al-Alimi offered an amnesty to defecting Houthi fighters, effective immediately.
The Houthis captured the city of Mocha and Mayyun Island in September, giving them control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Al-Alimi pledged to recapture Sanaa, which the government lost to the Houthis in 2014, and restore sovereignty over the whole of Yemen.
The Houthi advance follows the collapse of a 2022 truce that had paused 12 years of fighting.

Mobilisation Call

Rashad al-Alimi, head of the ruling Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, made a national call to arms in his first speech since government forces were routed from the Red Sea coast. He asked citizens to "contribute in every way possible" in the fight against the Houthis. Al-Alimi also offered an amnesty to defecting Houthi fighters, effective immediately. Through the mobilisation of the general population, al-Alimi pledged to recapture Yemen's capital, Sanaa, which the government lost to the Houthis in 2014. "Our objective is clear to everyone both at home and abroad: to restore state institutions and exercise their sovereignty over the entire country, including Sanaa," al-Alimi said.

Houthi Red Sea Offensive

The Houthis made dramatic advances in western Yemen in September, including capturing the city of Mocha and Mayyun Island. The assault follows the recent collapse of a 2022 government and Houthi truce, which had paused 12 years of fighting between the two sides. The Houthis' Red Sea offensive has given them control over Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. The strait is also of crucial economic and strategic importance to Saudi Arabia, which backs the internationally recognised government.

Government Position

In the eyes of most analysts, the government's position has rarely been weaker. Pushed out of Mocha, Mayyun Island and the wider Bab al-Mandeb coastline, the Houthi advance jeopardises the authority of the internationally recognised government and brings its Saudi ally deeper into the conflict. Riyadh and other Saudi cities have now become regular targets of Houthi rockets and drones. Even the government's rare victories have proven short-lived: Hays district in al-Hodeidah was briefly taken by government forces in early September before falling again to the Houthis just days later.