Houthis Sever Taiz Supply Route as Ground Offensive Targets Last Aden Corridor

The Houthis have seized control of Azaz and Mansoura in Taiz province and are advancing toward Al-Ashbah, positioning themselves to fully encircle the city of Taiz itself.^[1] The movement cuts off Al-Turbah, the last remaining supply route connecting Taiz to Aden – the port city where Yemen’s internationally recognized government maintains its primary base.^[2] This represents a critical shift in the ground war’s geometry: the Iran-backed group is no longer simply attacking; it is systematically isolating government-held territory from resupply.

Local reports indicate that Houthi forces have already positioned themselves on the road connecting Taiz to Aden, severing the main supply corridor.^[3] The encirclement follows Houthi advances in the Shaimaitin district, where the group moved toward Al-Zaydah after consolidating control over Bani Muhammad.^[2] Each step narrows the noose around Taiz, a city of roughly 600,000 people that has endured eight years of intermittent siege conditions.

The tactical sequence matters. The Houthis are not attempting a direct assault on Taiz itself – urban warfare would be costly and slow. Instead, they are executing a strangulation strategy: control the roads, cut the supply lines, force a choice between surrender or slow attrition. This mirrors proxy warfare doctrine across the Middle East: why assault a defended position when you can strangle it?

Yemen’s government responded by calling for general mobilization against the Iran-backed group.^[1] The Southern Transitional Council, which controls Aden and nominally supports the government, has reportedly initiated contact with the Houthis for the first time in years – a signal that some factions may be calculating the direction of the conflict.^[4] When local actors begin negotiating with an advancing force, it often precedes territorial collapse.

The Houthi advance also connects to broader Red Sea positioning. Control over the Taiz-Aden corridor gives the group leverage over maritime chokepoints and reinforces its grip on the western coast.^[2] The group has already demonstrated willingness to weaponize shipping lanes, selectively allowing Saudi vessels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait while targeting others.^[2] Territorial consolidation inland translates to tighter control over the maritime approaches to the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia has requested intelligence support from Israel to counter the Houthis, according to reports, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly committed to expanded cooperation on this front.^[3] Pakistan’s military leadership met with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh following a regional defense conference, signaling ongoing coalition-building against Houthi advances.^[3]

The displacement toll is mounting. Reports indicate that 145,000 people have been displaced as the offensive accelerates.^[4] Each territorial gain by the Houthis pushes more civilians into already-strained humanitarian corridors, compounding the pressure on Aden and other government-held zones.

What distinguishes this offensive from earlier Houthi operations is the coordination and pace. The group is not launching isolated attacks; it is executing a sequential territorial consolidation with clear geographic logic. Azaz and Mansoura are not random targets – they are waypoints on the road to isolating Taiz completely. If the encirclement holds, the next phase becomes either negotiated withdrawal or a slow starvation of a major city. Neither outcome strengthens the Saudi-backed coalition’s position in Yemen.