As reported by the Institute for the Study of War, the Houthis used ballistic missiles on November 13 and 14 to strike military staging zones and arms caches belonging to forces allied with the Yemeni government in the Aden and Lahij governorates.
Houthis launch ballistic missiles at Lahij and Aden
The Houthi movement claimed that multiple ballistic missile salvos were fired at Yemeni government reinforcement hubs situated at two staging areas in the Madaribah wa al Arah District, specifically at Khor Amira and Jabal Kharaz. This area is currently witnessing battles against the Houthis involving the Support and Reinforcement Brigades, the Homeland Shield Forces, and the Southern Giants Brigades.
Forces aligned with the Yemeni government are likely utilizing these staging locations in southern Lahij Governorate to provide supplies and reinforcements for their ongoing offensive against Houthi positions in southeastern Lahij Governorate. The Houthis also launched missiles at Aden City on November 13 to disrupt supply and reinforcement efforts.
Ground advances in southeastern Lahij
Despite Houthi strikes targeting logistical infrastructure, forces allied with the Yemeni government have pressed forward and reclaimed ground in southeastern Lahij Governorate. On November 13, the Southern Giants Brigades released video footage showing Houthi combatants retreating from clashes with Giants Brigades personnel within the Madaribah wa al Arah District.
Media channels operated by the Southern Transitional Council announced on November 13 that Yemeni government-aligned troops were actively securing newly seized ground, which encompasses the Sarih junction.
Saudi air support targets Houthi lines
To assist counterattacks by forces allied with the Yemeni government, Saudi warplanes maintained close air support by striking Houthi frontline forces within the Madaribah wa al Arah District, alongside supply lines vital for sustaining Houthi activities in the region. Saudi aircraft struck Houthi frontline units and logistics in Lahij Governorate.
Update from CENTCOM Commander: pic.twitter.com/osPbltjJ1C
Saudi jets also kept up strikes against Houthi reinforcements advancing southward from al Turbah in the southern Taiz Governorate. Since November 13, Houthi fighters and forces aligned with the Yemeni government have been engaged in combat at Majza, situated roughly 30 kilometers south of al Turbah.
Strait of Hormuz mine claims
Iranian naval authorities persist in alleging that commercial vessels are hitting naval mines along the US-guarded shipping lane in the southern Strait of Hormuz—a narrative likely intended to shake shipping companies’ faith in American naval escorts and force vessels to route through Iranian waters.
On November 13, the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said that a liquefied gas carrier escorted by a US fighter jet, together with two oil tankers, struck mines and either caught fire or blew up while navigating unauthorized paths.
On November 14, the Artesh Navy issued a separate statement asserting that a different oil tanker hit a mine and ignited east of the strait. US Central Command announced on August 27 that US forces had completely demined the strait, and the Institute for the Study of War reported no indicators that Iran has successfully re-mined the southern route.
Attacks on Saudi infrastructure
As part of an ongoing strategy to pressure Saudi Arabia into halting its military campaign in Yemen, the Houthi movement declared that it carried out strikes against a Saudi military installation and critical infrastructure on November 13.
The faction reported deploying drones against an East-West Pipeline pumping station and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
On November 14, Saudi defenses intercepted additional Houthi drones near Riyadh and the southern region of the kingdom. Citing an Iranian drone incident near Bahrain, fresh Houthi threats directed at Saudi Arabia, and reports of tanker explosions within the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf News said that the Middle East conflict remains highly unstable.
