🔻Fighting between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi-backed troops leaves at least 80 dead. Ansarullah Yemen, which receives support from Iran, says it has killed at least 55 people in the Taiz area. The group has tightened the siege ring around Taiz, but it has still been unable to take control of the city. Taiz is Yemen’s third-largest city after Sana’a and Aden. So far, areas around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait have come under Houthi control. This strait is of great importance for Saudi Arabia’s oil exports and for international trade. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Yemen’s armed forces announced that the Houthis’ explosive drones have been shot down over Aden.

Interview with Mehrdad Farhmand, an analyst of Middle East affairs