Yemen's internationally recognised government has called for a national military mobilisation and offered a general amnesty to any Houthi fighter willing to defect, as the conflict between the two sides sharply escalates. Rashad al-Alimi, chair of the Presidential Leadership Council and Supreme Commander of the Yemeni Armed Forces, made the announcement in a recorded speech on Friday — his first public address since government forces suffered a major setback on the western Red Sea coast.
"I call on the sons of our great people to engage in a general mobilisation and national mobilisation to rally around their armed and security forces, join their ranks through official channels, and contribute each from their respective position in whatever way they can," al-Alimi said. He added that the amnesty would take immediate effect and would apply to Houthi members who leave the group, subject to constitutional and legal procedures. Al-Alimi also reaffirmed the government's goal of retaking Sanaa, Yemen's capital, which the Houthis seized in 2014 — the event that triggered the broader civil war and prompted a Saudi-led military coalition to intervene the following year in support of the government.
The appeal comes after a significant military reversal: Houthi forces have seized control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, including territory near the strategically critical Bab al-Mandeb strait, a narrow waterway through which a large share of global maritime trade passes. The group has also dramatically escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia, striking Riyadh for the first time in years over the weekend and firing ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi cities, several of which were intercepted by the Saudi-led coalition's air defences.
The Saudi-backed government has been seeking broader international support to counter the Houthi advance. Al-Alimi reportedly requested military assistance from US President Donald Trump in a phone call earlier this week, though Trump did not commit to providing help. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also contacted Trump to press the case. Separately, the military chiefs of staff of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held their first formal meeting on Friday under a trilateral defence agreement known as the Mecca Pact, aimed at coordinating a response to the Houthi threat.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran and control much of Yemen's north — the country's most populous region — ended a years-long ceasefire in July, declaring a maritime blockade and ramping up attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure. With the government now exiled to Aden, its self-proclaimed temporary capital in the south, the amnesty offer reflects both a diplomatic gesture and a sign of the pressure the internationally recognised administration is under as it seeks to reverse Houthi gains.