Journalist Yousef Mawry writes that one might expect the internationally recognized Yemeni government to attempt to reinforce its forces to stem the tide of the conflict—after all, the Houthis are known to be trying to seize more territory from the government. However, doubts remain about whether the Houthis will back down. In fact, the Houthis have stated their willingness to pardon all soldiers and government personnel who have laid down their arms and have pledged immunity from prosecution, reflecting who truly controls the situation on the ground. Currently, we have not seen or heard any reports of government forces launching a military counter-offensive to drive the Houthis from their occupied positions. How the situation will develop in the coming hours and days remains to be seen. But what is certain is that the Houthis currently hold the upper hand. They control the initiative and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb and shipping lanes through the Red Sea.
