Yemen’s Saudi‑backed government said on Sunday it would begin a large‑scale military campaign to recapture territory still controlled by the Iran‑backed Houthi movement.

President Rashad al‑Alimi announced the operation in a televised address, stating the aim was to extend state authority across the entire national territory.

The announcement follows a recent exchange of strikes, including a Houthi claim of hitting Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais oil field.

Houthis said the Aramco attacks were in retaliation for what they described as 50 coalition air and missile strikes in Yemen over a 12‑hour period.

Saudi Arabia has not yet commented on the latest Houthi claims, though it has previously dismissed similar assertions as misleading.

The frontline remains centred on the city of Taiz, which is still under government control, while Houthis have reportedly cut the supply route linking Taiz with Aden, effectively encircling the city.

Research fellow Farea Al‑Muslimi of Chatham House noted that the Houthis have achieved the objective of isolating Taiz, even though they have not fully captured it.

The conflict, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, has caused a severe humanitarian crisis and disrupted global oil supplies, especially after the Houthis seized the Red Sea coast and the Bab al‑Mandab Strait in September.