Yemen general mobilization was called on Friday by Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, who urged citizens to rally behind the country’s armed and security forces in a televised address.
Al-Alimi, who also serves as Supreme Commander of the Yemeni Armed Forces, appealed to “the sons of our great people” to engage in general and national mobilization and to stand with government troops. His call comes weeks after government positions suffered a significant setback at the hands of the Iran-backed Houthi movement.
According to officials, the Houthis recently swept across Yemen’s Red Sea coastline in a rapid campaign, giving the group full control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and fueling international concern over shipping through the chokepoint.
Yemen general mobilization goals
Al-Alimi said the mobilization aims to restore state institutions and reassert authority across the entire national territory, including Sanaa, which has been held by the Houthis since 2014. He announced an upcoming amnesty for those who defect from the Houthis to the government side.
Addressing residents in areas under Houthi control, he urged families to keep their children from the front lines and said the state regards them not as adversaries, but as citizens and partners.
Houthis escalate conflict
The Houthis have battled Yemen’s Saudi-backed government for more than a decade. Although a truce in 2022 largely froze the front lines, hostilities have intensified in recent weeks amid a broader regional confrontation involving Iran.
In that period, the Houthis stepped up missile and drone strikes on neighboring Saudi Arabia. They declared a maritime blockade and targeted Saudi interests in an effort to curb the kingdom’s oil exports. The group accused Saudi Arabia of besieging areas under its control and, over the weekend, struck Riyadh for the first time in years, signaling a major escalation.