A Saudi-led coalition geared up on Tuesday for an assault on Yemen's main port, preparing to launch by far the biggest battle of a three-year-old war between an alliance of Arab states and the Houthi movement that controls Yemen's capital.

The United Arab Emirates, one of the main members of the Western-backed alliance, has set a Tuesday deadline for the Iran-aligned Houthis to withdraw from the port of Hodeidah under UN-led negotiations or face an assault.

It would be the first time since they joined the war on behalf of Yemen's exiled government that the foreign armies have attempted to capture such a well-defended major city.

Hodeidah, Yemen's biggest port and the only port controlled by the Houthis, serves as the lifeline for the majority of Yemen's population, which lives in Houthi-ruled territory.

The United Nations said it was engaged in "intense" shuttle diplomacy between the Houthis and coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the UAE to avert the attack.

It estimates 600,000 people live in the area, and in a worst-case scenario a battle could cost up to 250,000 lives, as well as cutting off millions from aid and supplies.

Emirati-led troops have advanced along the southwestern coast to the outskirts of Hodeidah under a coalition strategy to box in the Houthis in the capital Sanaa and choke off their supply lines to force them to the negotiating table.

Local military sources said hundreds of Yemeni fighters as well as tanks and military supplies from the UAE arrived on Monday to reinforce troops, including Emiratis and Sudanese, in al-Durayhmi, a rural area 10 km (6.21 miles) south of Hodeidah.

The sources said Yemeni forces allied to the Saudi-led coalition -- drawn from southern separatists, local units from the Red Sea coastal plain and a battalion led by a nephew of late former president Ali Abdullah Saleh -- had advanced and were "at the doors" of Hodeidah airport.

The war pits the Houthis against the Western-backed Sunni Muslim states, which intervened in 2015 to restore the exiled government and thwart what Riyadh and Abu Dhabi see as expansionist aims of their Shi'ite Muslim foe Iran.

The Houthis, with roots in a Zaidi Shi'ite minority that ruled a thousand-year kingdom in Yemen until 1962, deny they are pawns of Iran. They say they have led a popular revolution against corruption and are defending the country from invaders.

"I think the Emiratis have done a good job in presenting compelling arguments about why an operation (on Hodeidah) could, in the end, tip the balance and apply enough pressure to bring the Houthis to the table," a Western diplomat said on Monday.

"The Emiratis' preparedness is crucial in this. This is possibly what we're most concerned about."

Grace period

European donor governments warned aid groups in Yemen on Saturday that "a military assault now looks imminent," according to a message seen by Reuters. It said: "The Emiratis have informed us today that they will now give a 3-day grace period for the UN (and their partners) to leave the city."

The UAE foreign ministry and government communication office did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The United Nations relocated foreign staff members from Hodeidah on Monday. The International Committee of the Red Cross said last week it had pulled 71 foreign staff out of Yemen.

The renewed push on Hodeidah comes amid increased tensions between Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Iran after the United States withdrew last month from an international nuclear agreement with Tehran, a move hailed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia's Western allies, under increasing scrutiny for selling arms to the states fighting in Yemen, have not publicly made clear whether they approve of an assault on Hodeidah.

Riyadh says the Houthis use the port to smuggle Iranian-made weapons, including missiles that have been launched at Saudi cities -- accusations denied by the group and Tehran.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has warned the group will attack oil tankers in the event of an assault on Hodeidah.

The coalition says one of the main justifications for its intervention is to protect Red Sea shipping, which brings Middle East oil and Asian goods to Europe through the Suez Canal.

It would be the first time since they joined the war on behalf of Yemen's exiled government

A Saudi-led coalition geared up on Tuesday for an assault on Yemen's main port, preparing to launch by far the biggest battle of a three-year-old war between an alliance of Arab states and the Houthi movement that controls Yemen's capital. The United Arab Emirates, one of the main members of the Western-backed alliance, has set a Tuesday deadline for the Iran-aligned Houthis to withdraw from the port of Hodeidah under UN-led negotiations or face an assault. It would be the first time since they joined the war on behalf of Yemen's exiled government that the foreign armies have attempted to capture such a well-defended major city. Hodeidah, Yemen's biggest port and the only port controlled by the Houthis, serves as the lifeline for the majority of Yemen's population, which lives in Houthi-ruled territory. The United Nations said it was engaged in "intense" shuttle diplomacy between the Houthis and coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the UAE to avert the attack. It estimates 600,000 people live in the area, and in a worst-case scenario a battle could cost up to 250,000 lives, as well as cutting off millions from aid and supplies. Emirati-led troops have advanced along the southwestern coast to the outskirts of Hodeidah under a coalition strategy to box in the Houthis in the capital Sanaa and choke off their supply lines to force them to the negotiating table. Local military sources said hundreds of Yemeni fighters as well as tanks and military supplies from the UAE arrived on Monday to reinforce troops, including Emiratis and Sudanese, in al-Durayhmi, a rural area 10 km (6.21 miles) south of Hodeidah. The sources said Yemeni forces allied to the Saudi-led coalition -- drawn from southern separatists, local units from the Red Sea coastal plain and a battalion led by a nephew of late former president Ali Abdullah Saleh -- had advanced and were "at the doors" of Hodeidah airport. The war pits the Houthis against the Western-backed Sunni Muslim states, which intervened in 2015 to restore the exiled government and thwart what Riyadh and Abu Dhabi see as expansionist aims of their Shi'ite Muslim foe Iran. The Houthis, with roots in a Zaidi Shi'ite minority that ruled a thousand-year kingdom in Yemen until 1962, deny they are pawns of Iran. They say they have led a popular revolution against corruption and are defending the country from invaders. "I think the Emiratis have done a good job in presenting compelling arguments about why an operation (on Hodeidah) could, in the end, tip the balance and apply enough pressure to bring the Houthis to the table," a Western diplomat said on Monday. "The Emiratis' preparedness is crucial in this. This is possibly what we're most concerned about." Grace period European donor governments warned aid groups in Yemen on Saturday that "a military assault now looks imminent," according to a message seen by Reuters. It said: "The Emiratis have informed us today that they will now give a 3-day grace period for the UN (and their partners) to leave the city." The UAE foreign ministry and government communication office did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The United Nations relocated foreign staff members from Hodeidah on Monday. The International Committee of the Red Cross said last week it had pulled 71 foreign staff out of Yemen. The renewed push on Hodeidah comes amid increased tensions between Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Iran after the United States withdrew last month from an international nuclear agreement with Tehran, a move hailed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia's Western allies, under increasing scrutiny for selling arms to the states fighting in Yemen, have not publicly made clear whether they approve of an assault on Hodeidah. Riyadh says the Houthis use the port to smuggle Iranian-made weapons, including missiles that have been launched at Saudi cities -- accusations denied by the group and Tehran. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has warned the group will attack oil tankers in the event of an assault on Hodeidah. The coalition says one of the main justifications for its intervention is to protect Red Sea shipping, which brings Middle East oil and Asian goods to Europe through the Suez Canal.

Saudi-led alliance gears up for battle in key Yemeni port city

At least nine people were killed in an Arab coalition air strike on the rebel-held Yemeni city of Ibb on Saturday. 
 
&quot;Nine civilians were killed, and another nine were wounded, treated and discharged from the hospital,&quot; Abdul Malik Al-Sanani, the manager of the city&#39;s al-Thawra Hospital, told Reuters. The dead included a family of three children and their parents. 
 
The Houthi group had siezed Ibb in 2014. 
&nbsp; 
The Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis began in March last year. The coalition has repeatedly said it does not target civilians. 
 
&quot;There is no military, no security, no government and nor even rebels&#39; establishment here...here only poor residents,&quot; resident Mohamed Kasim spoke to Xinhua by phone. 
 
A coalition air strike on the Houthi-held Yemeni port city of Hodeidah killed 26 civilians on Wednesday. 
 
Since the Saudi-led war against the Houthis, more than 6,000 people have been killed, about half of them civilians. 
 
The fight in Yemen is between those loyal to&nbsp;President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and Houthis, who forced Hadi to escape the Yemeni capital Sanaa.&nbsp; 
 
The Saudi-led coalition has supported President Hadi in his battle against the Houthis. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Although Saudi has vowed not to attack Yemeni citizens, its attacks have killed around 3,000 of them since 2015

At least nine people were killed in an Arab coalition air strike on the rebel-held Yemeni city of Ibb on Saturday. "Nine civilians were killed, and another nine were wounded, treated and discharged from the hospital," Abdul Malik Al-Sanani, the manager of the city's al-Thawra Hospital, told Reuters. The dead included a family of three children and their parents. The Houthi group had siezed Ibb in 2014. The Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis began in March last year. The coalition has repeatedly said it does not target civilians. "There is no military, no security, no government and nor even rebels' establishment here...here only poor residents," resident Mohamed Kasim spoke to Xinhua by phone. A coalition air strike on the Houthi-held Yemeni port city of Hodeidah killed 26 civilians on Wednesday. Since the Saudi-led war against the Houthis, more than 6,000 people have been killed, about half of them civilians. The fight in Yemen is between those loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and Houthis, who forced Hadi to escape the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition has supported President Hadi in his battle against the Houthis. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Arab coalition air strikes kill nine in Yemeni city of Ibb

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Saudi-led alliance gears up for battle in key Yemeni port city

Arab coalition air strikes kill nine in Yemeni city of Ibb