Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement has advanced to within 80 kilometres of Aden, the internationally recognised government's temporary capital, according to four military sources quoted by Reuters.
The advance brings the group closer to the southern port city than at any point since the early months of Yemen's civil war in 2015, when Houthi fighters briefly entered Aden before being driven out.
The offensive has also opened a new front in the wider conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran, raising fears of further regional instability.
Houthi fighters have seized Al-Maqatirah district following an assault on government positions launched three days ago, the military sources said.
Government forces have reportedly retreated towards Tur al-Bahah, where fighting continued on Monday, 2 November, around a military camp some 80 kilometres from Aden.
The advance threatens the main road linking Aden and Taiz, a crucial supply route for government-held areas in south-western Yemen.
The Houthis have also expanded their presence along the Red Sea coast, including near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping corridor connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The offensive comes as the Houthis step up attacks on Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The Saudi-led coalition has retaliated with intensified airstrikes on Houthi positions, deepening both sides' involvement in the broader regional confrontation.
The escalation has further weakened a UN-brokered truce agreed in 2022, which largely halted major fighting despite continued tensions and sporadic violence.
Yemen's war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa, the capital, forcing the internationally recognised government to flee.
The offensive has intensified pressure on Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, which has faced encirclement since early October, when the Houthis cut its main southern road to Aden.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced, while restricted access has worsened shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
The route through Al-Maqatirah was the last remaining link between government-controlled territory and Taiz.
As fighting edges closer to Aden and vital transport routes come under threat, the Houthi advance risks deepening Yemen's humanitarian crisis and fuelling further instability.
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