![Yemeni government forces conduct search and clearance operations after announcing that they regained control of the strategic Mount Qarfan from Houthi forces in the Ash Shamaytayn district of Taiz province, Yemen, on September 23, 2026. [Marwan Abdullah Yahya Saeed Al-shabi - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AA-20260923-42554079-42554061-YEMENI_GOVERNMENT_FORCES_SAY_THEY_HAVE_TAKEN_CONTROL_OF_STRATEGIC_HILL_IN_TAIZ-1.jpg)
Yemen, a country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is about 7,000 kilometres from Jakarta. It feels far away. But this month, its war came closer to Indonesian families, workers and prices. Yemen has had a civil war since 2014. On one side is the Houthi movement, officially called Ansar Allah, or “supporters of God.” Backed by Iran, it controls the north and the capital, Sanaa. Against it stands the official government, backed by Saudi Arabia. A 2022 truce brought four years of calm, but the war restarted in July. In early September, the Houthis took the port of Mocha and nearby Perim island. This gave them control of Yemen’s side of the Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow sea […]
