Houthis encircle Yemeni city of Taiz
The advance is restricting supplies to a major city as the civil war escalates again.
Follow-up to: New attack on Riyadh airport kills one Monday, 12 October 2026, 01:26
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The Houthi movement has further encircled the Yemeni city of Taiz, The Associated Press reports. An important location south of the city was captured on 4 October, severely restricting supplies from areas held by the government.
Taiz is considered one of Yemen’s most important cities and has been a front line in the civil war for years. According to AP, the Houthis’ capture of a strategic location has cut off much of the access from government-held territory. The movement already controls large parts of northern and western Yemen, but Taiz is held by forces supporting the internationally recognised government.
The new advance is part of a broader escalation. The United Nations warned last week that Yemen had once again descended into a full-scale war. According to the UN envoy, fighting has spread to several areas in recent weeks, while the humanitarian situation in Taiz is rapidly deteriorating.
The conflict also has a regional dimension. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are backed by Iran and have carried out attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia in recent months. Saudi authorities are meanwhile investigating attacks on, among other places, Riyadh airport. Houthi media reported new Saudi air strikes in Yemen on Tuesday; Saudi Arabia had not confirmed those allegations at the time.
What the territorial gains mean for the further course of the conflict remains uncertain. The Yemeni government has announced a counter-offensive and says it wants to recapture areas around strategic straits. Claims about territorial gains and losses often come from the warring parties themselves and cannot always be independently verified.
For Taiz’s residents, the encirclement mainly means uncertainty over food, fuel and medical care. The UN has long counted the city and the eponymous province among the worst-affected areas. The fall of Taiz would further alter the balance of power in south-western Yemen, but would not automatically mean that the Houthis controlled all of Yemen or the shipping route through the Red Sea.
The development is relevant to the Netherlands and Europe because Yemen borders the Bab el-Mandeb, an important passage between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The current reports concern fighting around Taiz, not a new closure of that shipping route. Further escalation could, however, increase the risks to shipping, energy supplies and regional diplomacy.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Houthis have gained ground around Taiz and restricted an important supply route.
- The UN describes a new large-scale escalation in Yemen.
- The parties involved are issuing opposing military claims.
Left
Arguments The priority should be an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access, without further military escalation by regional powers. Foreign support for the warring parties prolongs the conflict.
Values Protection of civilians, international law and diplomacy.
Consequences A pause in the fighting could enable aid deliveries, but could also temporarily freeze the existing balance of power.
Centre
Arguments A political solution must take account of the Houthis, the government and regional players. Pressure and mediation are needed to open supply routes while safeguarding shipping.
Values Stability, multilateral diplomacy and protection of trade routes.
Consequences A compromise could curb the escalation, but would require concessions from parties that have little trust in one another.
Right
Arguments The Houthis must not be rewarded for military gains or attacks on regional infrastructure. The government’s allies must receive sufficient support to prevent the movement from expanding its power further.
Values Deterrence, regional security and protection of international trade.
Consequences More military support could push back the Houthis, but would also increase the risk of a wider regional war.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article is based on a recent AP report and a UN warning. Unconfirmed military claims are explicitly described as claims by the parties involved.
- confirmed The Houthis have further encircled Taiz after capturing a strategic location on 4 October. — AP reported this on the basis of sources and developments around the city. source
- confirmed The UN warned on 9 October that Yemen had once again descended into a full-scale war. — The UN DPPA published this warning on behalf of the special envoy. source
- confirmed Saudi Arabia had not immediately confirmed the air strikes reported by Houthi media. — AP states that Saudi Arabia had not responded at the time of publication. source
- confirmed The fall of Taiz would not automatically mean that the Houthis controlled the Red Sea. — This is a geographical and political delineation of the reporting, not a prediction. source
Editor's note
The new encirclement, the capture of a location on 4 October and the UN warning about escalation are certain. Claims about air strikes and military successes by the warring parties have been attributed where possible and not presented as independently established facts.Sources
- Fear strikes Yemen’s 3rd largest city Taiz as Houthi rebels encircle it in a new siege — The Associated Press
- Yemen has returned to full-scale war, Special Envoy warns — United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
- Houthi rebels report airstrikes in Yemen, and other Middle East developments — The Associated Press
The story so far
- Friday, 9 October 2026, 13:42 Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport kill three
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 05:43 Saudi Arabia launches offensive against Houthis
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 18:48 Riyadh Airport attacked again, flights cancelled
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 23:45 More wounded in attack on Riyadh airport
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 05:44 New attack on Riyadh airport claims twelve lives
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 12:46 Riyadh keeps airport closed after deadly attack
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 15:58 Report: child killed after Saudi strike on Sanaa
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 16:28 Trump considers US role in Saudi attacks
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 18:04 Projectile hits passenger terminal in Riyadh again
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 21:27 A projectile also lands near Dammam airport
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 23:27 Fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia raise risk of regional war
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 01:26 New attack on Riyadh airport kills one
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 02:26 New attack also hits Dammam airport
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 19:58 Saudi Arabia investigates failed defences after airport attack
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 02:26 Saudi Arabia halts warnings of new attacks
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 02:56 Qatar Airways suspends flights to Riyadh and Dammam
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 12:59 Houthis encircle Yemeni city of Taiz (this article)