ADEN: Airstrikes carried out by the Yemeni armed forces against Houthi positions and gatherings in recent weeks have reshaped the military scene after nearly four years of stalemate under the UN-brokered truce.
While the government views the operations as a shift in the way the conflict is being managed, many Yemenis, especially those living in Houthi-controlled areas, see them as a sign that a new phase may be approaching, one that could lead to the restoration of the state and the end of the Houthi coup.
This optimism has coincided with mounting internal and external pressure on the group following its involvement in regional escalation through attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The resulting increase in military strikes against Houthi positions has strengthened the belief among many Yemenis that the balance of power could shift in the coming period.
The Yemeni Ministry of Defense announced on July 3 that it had targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. According to the ministry, the aircraft had entered Yemeni airspace without authorization and was carrying officers from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with weapons and funds intended for the Houthi group.
