Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced the operation in a televised address, saying the country’s armed and security forces had been instructed to begin implementing an approved military plan.

Al-Alimi said the campaign would continue until government forces restore control over areas held by the Houthis and re-establish the authority of the Yemeni state.

The announcement comes amid a significant escalation in fighting between the internationally recognised government and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which controls large parts of northern and western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

Yemeni government officials said military forces had carried out hundreds of operations targeting Houthi positions and movements. The government also claimed that hundreds of Houthi fighters had been killed in recent fighting, although the figures could not be independently verified.

The latest escalation raises fears that Yemen’s long-running conflict could enter a new and more intense phase. The country has remained divided since the Houthis seized control of Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognised government.

The conflict has also had wider regional consequences, particularly for shipping through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Al-Alimi’s announcement signals a renewed effort by the Yemeni government and its allies to reverse Houthi territorial gains. However, any large-scale offensive could carry significant humanitarian risks in a country already facing years of conflict, displacement and economic hardship.

The Houthis have yet to respond in detail to the latest announcement.

The coming days are expected to determine whether the announced operation develops into a sustained nationwide offensive or leads to another attempt at negotiations between the rival sides.