Why is fighting intensifying in Yemen’s Taiz governorate?

Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthis are engaged in fierce fighting over the strategic Taiz governorate in southwestern Yemen. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, announced a major offensive against the Houthis to regain lost territory, likely leading to more battles in the area. Taiz, the most populous region with nearly 4.5 million people, includes key locations like the port city of Mocha and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, which was recently captured by the Houthis, raising fears of disruption to international shipping. The region remains contested between Houthi-controlled north and government-held south, with the conflict threatening to isolate government forces from Aden.