In its first statement since losing extensive positions on Yemen's west coast, the government’s National Resistance revealed the cost of a month-long battle against the Houthis. It accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional allies of providing direct support and managing the offensive, which culminated in the group seizing control of vast positions and areas along the coast. The "National Resistance" forces, led by member of the Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Tareq Saleh, announced that more than 500 of their personnel were killed and nearly 1,500 others wounded. This was compared to more than 1,000 dead and thousands wounded among the Houthis, according to the statement about the battles that spanned from August 9 to September 10. The statement, broadcast by the military forces' media, comes following a major field shift on the west coast fronts, with the Houthis advancing and seizing control of Hays, al-Khawkha, Mokha and its port, and extending their control to Bab al-Mandeb, Mayyun Island, and the rest of the Yemeni islands in the southern Red Sea. The National Resistance described the battles as some of the "fiercest clashes" they have fought against the Houthis, stating that the offensive began with intensive missile bombardment and attacks using drones and booby-trapped boats, before expanding across the Hays, al-Kadha, Maqbanah, and al-Barah areas. It added that the Houthis deployed large numbers of fighters and reinforcements from various axes in an attempt to shift the balance of power on the ground and besiege the defending forces. The National Resistance linked the nature of the offensive and the Houthis' ability to mobilize forces and execute simultaneous operations to what they described as direct support from personnel and expertise of the IRGC and its regional allies. A Yemeni gunman brandishes his weapon during a rally to recruit more fighters in Sanaa on September 10, 2026. (AFP) It said the offensive was prepared in advance to exploit the terrain and establish fire control over several commanding heights, in an attempt to tighten the siege on the forces and destroy their combat capability. It added that the course of the battles revealed, according to its assessment, the nature of the Iranian role in supporting the Houthis, accusing the group of executing a project that targets Arab national security and international waterways. Faced with the intensity of the offensive and the succession of reinforcements, the National Resistance revealed that its leadership decided to reposition forces into new defensive lines, aiming to preserve its "strike force" and foil the plan to encircle and destroy it. The repositioning is not the end of the fight, but rather a measure to preserve its forces and rearrange their deployment after losing extensive positions. The statement praised Saudi support, which it said continued until the "last moment," alongside the backing of the Giants Brigades, National Shield, and tribal volunteers, saying this is an embodiment of the unity among anti-Houthi forces. The National Resistance said the developments underscore the need for integrating anti-Houthi fronts and mobilizing them simultaneously, rather than relying on a single military sector, aiming to regain the initiative and impose a new military reality. In an attempt to avoid holding other Yemeni factions responsible for the loss, the statement stressed that the resistance has no intention of "accusing anyone of treason" or engaging in "settling scores or political posturing." It called for viewing developments objectively, drawing lessons, and rearranging priorities for the upcoming phase.
