Yemen's Ansarullah's expanding control over Yemen

Before the war escalated, Yemen was fragmented among multiple actors rather than under one authority. The Saudi-led coalition, nominally held Aden, the eastern governorates including Hadramawt and Marib, and much of the southern coast. The Ansarullah, rooted in the northern highlands, had held Sanaa since 2014 and dominated Saada, Hajjah, Amran, and Hodeidah, though Taiz and Marib remained contested. Southern separatists, mainly the Southern Transitional Council, controlled Aden and parts of Lahj, Abyan, and Shabwa, often clashing with the official government forces.