🔻In Yemen, intense clashes are underway between forces of the country’s legitimate government and the movement Ansarallah, known as the Houthis, in coastal areas. According to the latest reports, amid airstrikes by government forces, the sounds of devastating explosions have been heard in western Taiz. Government forces also say they have managed to retake an area in the governorate of Hodeidah. In the three days since these clashes began, hundreds of people have been killed. The Houthis, who are supported by Iran, are seeking to take control of the port of Mokha, located on the coastal line of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This strait is one of the important maritime passages that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Interview with Mehrdad Farahmand, analyst of Middle East affairs