President of Yemen Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi announced the launch of a military operation to regain control of the rest of the country from the Houthis. “Today we are in an important period of our country’s history,” Al-Alimi said, adding that the country has made “great sacrifices” by choosing the path of peace. Al-Alimi said the purpose of the operation The Houthis Restoring the safety, rights and dignity of civilians in areas under IPC control and asserting that those civilians were not targets of military operations. He appealed to people living in areas under militia control to stay away from Houthi gathering places and protect their children from joining the fighting.

“The military operations we are going to launch are not a war against our people in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Saada. It is not a war against any group or tribe,” Al-Alimi said. Al-Alimi also appealed to the brothers of Yemen and friends of the international community to stand with the country.

In the name of God, and in the name of the people, and based on the decisions of the National Defense Council, I announce today the beginning of military operations in the remaining parts of the territory of the Republic, and the extension of the power of the state and its institutions over the entire national territory. pic.twitter.com/yaKsnSDpbK

— د/ رشاد محمد العليمي (@PresidentRashad) October 4, 2026

He said that Yemen will continue to consider Saudi Arabia as a true partner in our common destiny and security and he also thanked the leadership and people of Saudi Arabia for their support.

The Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari said the group launched a military operation against an Aramco facility in Riyadh using ballistic missiles and drones. According to the Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah channel, Sari claimed that the operation had achieved its objective and that the targeted areas were on fire. He said the attack was carried out in response to Saudi attacks on Sana’a and other areas of Yemen.

International news agencies also reported seeing flames and smoke near an Aramco facility south of Riyadh on Saturday, but Saudi officials did not immediately confirm that the facility had been hit by a Houthi attack, and initial reports did not identify the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, the Houthis said their operations targeted Saudi energy infrastructure and that the strikes had caused fires at the targeted sites.

Saudi Arabia rejected the Houthis’ claims

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has denied the Houthis’ claim of targeting an Aramco facility in Riyadh, calling it misleading, while Yemen’s internationally recognized government forces have reported 97 operations against the Houthis in the Taiz and Tur al-Baha fronts.

Saudi Arabia has denied claims by Yemen’s Houthi movement that it launched a ballistic missile and drone attack targeting an Aramco facility in Riyadh. Major General Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, called the claim misleading and said it was intended to divert attention from Houthi losses on the battlefield.

Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, denied the Houthi statement, saying the claim was an attempt to show a “Shammy victory”. He said the Houthis were trying to deflect attention from the damage done in Taiz and other battlefronts and the growing public anger at their behavior.

Fighting intensifies around Taiz

The latest clashes come as fighting intensifies around Yemen’s strategically important region of Taiz. Yemeni government forces said their operations also targeted Houthi positions in Sanaa and Saada. Earlier, government forces reported a series of operations on several fronts, killing a large number of Houthis. Taiz is divided between areas controlled by Houthi forces and areas held by forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

The latest conflict is significant because it involves Saudi energy infrastructure and the Red Sea area, an important corridor for global trade and energy shipments. After a ceasefire violation and a rapid escalation of hostilities, fighting has resumed. The fighting has also raised new humanitarian concerns, with displacement and food shortages worsening in affected areas.