It took Houthi rebels less than 48 hours to seize Yemen's Red Sea coast from pro-government forces in a resounding blow to U.S. interests and Washington's regional allies.
asserted
It → take → interests
But the Houthis didn't do it alone.
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Houthis → do → it
Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers were in the field helping direct the battle, people familiar with the offensive told The Associated Press, marking Iran's most direct intervention in favour of its longtime ally since Yemen's civil war erupted in 2014.
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war → help → 2014
The intervention shows how Iran has built the Houthis into a major regional partner able to open a new front in the wider war with the U.S.
The rebels' biggest land grab in years, along with the closure of a key Saudi pipeline, strengthened their ability to choke off Saudi Arabia's oil exports, pushing up global fuel prices and giving Iran greater leverage.
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grab → show → leverage
The United States has seemed reluctant to help its ally Saudi Arabia, even as the Houthis have gained momentum in Yemen's revived civil war.
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Houthis → seem → war
The AP spoke to 10 officials and soldiers to assemble an account of the Houthi offensive.
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AP → speak → offensive
They included a senior Houthi official, two regional officials, a top Yemeni military commander and a member of Yemen's ruling presidential council.
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They → include → council
They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal decision-making.
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They → speak → making
The Houthis' swift, 115-kilometre (75-mile) assault exploited divisions among forces allied with Yemen's Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government.
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assault → exploit → government
The Houthis penetrated the internal communications of one of the main forces, the National Resistance, allowing them to track its movements and sow confusion.
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them → penetrate → confusion
As pro-government forces beat a frantic retreat, the leader of the National Resistance fled to Saudi Arabia.
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leader → beat → Arabia
The key port city of Mokha was abandoned as residents left in the night, allowing the Houthis to roll in unopposed on September 10.
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Houthis → abandon → September
Their seizure of strategic islands nearby further enhanced their ability to attack Saudi oil shipments in the Red Sea.
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seizure → enhance → Sea
Iran had been building up the Houthis' capabilities
The Houthis had not conducted a major campaign along the coast since 2017, when government forces drove them out of the area.
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forces → build → area
Since then, the Houthis have focused on trying to capture the oil-rich province of Marib in central Yemen.
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Houthis → focus → Yemen
A truce took hold in 2022.
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truce → take → 2022
The following year, the Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping over the war in Gaza, attacks that continued until a punishing US bombing campaign in 2025.
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that → begin → 2025
After the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, the Houthis largely kept to the sidelines.
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Houthis → attack → sidelines
Last year, Iran began providing the Houthis with stepped-up training and logistical support on more advanced missiles, drones and uncrewed attack boats, said Mzahem Alsaloum, a security analyst who has followed Iranian-backed groups for nearly a decade and now runs a private intelligence firm.
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who → begin → firm
In July, the Houthis renewed their attacks on Saudi Arabia after accusing it of striking the airport in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa.
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Houthis → renew → capital
That strike appears to have been aimed at halting a flight from Tehran.
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strike → appear → Tehran
Alsaloum and the senior Houthi official said the Iranian flight, which later landed, brought Revolutionary Guard advisers, who joined other advisers from the Guard — and Iran's Lebanese ally, Hezbollah — already based in Yemen.
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who → say → Yemen
Iranian advisers assumed a larger role in the offensive
In early August, the Houthis resumed attacks on government forces, focusing on the city of Taiz, in the mountains overlooking the coast, and firing missiles and drones at Mokha.
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Houthis → assume → Mokha
The Houthi official said Iranian advisers had previously focused on strategic planning and were not in the field.
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advisers → say → field
But in the latest escalation, they were “present at all levels,” he said, including planning tactical manoeuvres and working with front-line commanders.
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he → say → commanders
The two regional officials, who are regularly briefed on the latest developments in Yemen, also said Iran provided direct support that helped the rapid advance.
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that → brief → advance
Alsaloum said that in addition to helping in a command role, the Iranian advisers analysed communications and satellite intelligence, capacities the Houthis were lacking.
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Houthis → say → communications
Iran's UN mission did not respond to requests for comment.
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mission → respond → comment
Pro-government forces were divided
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forces → divide → ?
But it had not been involved in major fighting since 2017.
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it → involve → 2017
For a month, Houthi forces bombarded its positions with 130 ballistic missiles and 145 suicide drones, according to a National Resistance spokesman, Maj. Gen. Sadiq Dwaid.
uncertain
forces → bombard → spokesman
He said its fighters were stretched over 170 kilometres (100 miles), from Mokha into the mountainous interior, against what he estimated were 75,000 Houthi fighters.
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he → say → interior
In early September, the Giants Brigade, another militia, came to its aid, helping it to temporarily push back the rebels.
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it → come → rebels
But the Giants Brigade had not coordinated with the National Resistance, angering its field commanders, one government official said.
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official → coordinate → commanders
The two forces had a long-standing rivalry rooted in the past struggle between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over control of the anti-Houthi movement.
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forces → have → movement
That struggle led to the UAE abruptly pulling out of Yemen in January.
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UAE → lead → January
There was no “unified command,” said the senior military official.
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official → be → ?
A swift advance led to a panicked retreat
On September 9, the Houthis advanced south toward Mokha through a narrow mountain valley, heavily bombarding their opponents.
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Houthis → lead → opponents
Having breached their communications, the Houthis were able to listen in and exploit divisions, one of the government officials said, adding that National Resistance leaders lost contact with several field commanders.
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leaders → breach → commanders
By the afternoon, the Houthis had seized the mountain road and a nearby military base, cutting off government supply lines to Mokha.
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Houthis → seize → Mokha
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
