Sources told Sheba Intelligence that air defenses intercepted drones attempting to fly over the presidential palace in Yemen’s interim capital, Aden, amid a widening Houthi escalation across government-held territory.

The incident follows an earlier Sheba Intelligence report warning that Aden was included in a Houthi targeting plan. Citing intelligence sources, the report identified Aden International Airport, government facilities in Marib and Taiz, and military camps among potential targets.

No official statement has specified the number or origin of the drones intercepted over Aden. The Yemeni Armed Forces, however, announced that it had engaged “hostile drones” attempting to approach vital and public-service facilities in the city.

“Attacks Without Consequences Are Over”

The incident coincided with a meeting between Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi and ambassadors representing countries sponsoring Yemen’s political process.

Al-Alimi said the latest Houthi attacks were a test of the international community’s commitment to protecting prospects for peace. He stressed that the government had not initiated the escalation but would not allow the Houthis to choose when and where to attack and then demand restraint when government forces responded.

“The era of attacks without consequences is over,” al-Alimi said, adding that the armed forces were more prepared and that an attack on any front would now be treated as an attack on the Yemeni state as a whole.

He placed the Mocha attack within a broader series of strikes targeting Marib, Hadramawt, the western coast, commercial vessels and civilian sites in Saudi Arabia. He also called for a clear international position supporting the government’s right to protect civilians and state institutions.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg expressed grave concern over the latest Houthi attacks, saying they had placed civilians in Mocha, Marib and other areas at serious risk. He called for an end to the escalation and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“Sanaa Is Our Destination”

Military rhetoric also intensified. Major General Yasser al-Maabari, commander of the First Emergency Division, told troops during a military parade east of Marib that they were approaching a decisive stage.

Al-Maabari said his forces were preparing for a “decisive, non-retaliatory military operation” and would soon celebrate reaching Sanaa.

His remarks coincided with the launch of the Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson’s official social media accounts. Announcing the move, the spokesperson said it came “at a crucial and decisive stage in Yemen’s modern history,” concluding with the phrase: “Sanaa is our destination.”

The messages emerged alongside a broad Yemeni media campaign highlighting footage released by the army showing drone operations against Houthi positions and personnel across several fronts.

The campaign began one day after Sheba Intelligence published an investigation based on an analysis of footage released by the Yemeni Armed Forces. The investigation documented the army’s expanding use of tactical drones for reconnaissance, fire correction and precision strikes, alongside evidence of new multi-mission drone capabilities.

These developments do not constitute an official declaration of a large-scale offensive. However, the timing of the political statements, military messaging, drone footage and heightened readiness points to a coordinated shift from containing Houthi attacks toward preparing public opinion—and potentially the battlefield—for a broader government response.