FOR FOUR years an uncomfortable truce(停战，休战) in Yemen’s long civil war has prevailed(持续存在，盛行). But now open conflict is breaking out(突然爆发) again. The Houthis, Iran-backed rebels, have accused Yemen’s internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia, its most important ally, of planning a big offensive.(胡塞武装指责也门政府和沙特策划大规模进攻。) On July 30th their leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said his forces would “respond to their full-scale(全面的，大规模的) escalation(升级，加剧) with one of our own”. Throughout August they have launched drone(无人机) and missile attacks against government positions, killing dozens of soldiers and civilians. Yemen’s regular army has struck back(反击，回击) hard.
四年来，也门长期内战中的脆弱停火一直得以维持。但现在，公开冲突再次爆发。伊朗支持的胡塞武装指责也门国际公认的政府及其最重要的盟友沙特阿拉伯正在策划大规模进攻。7月30日，他们的领导人阿卜杜勒-马利克·胡塞表示，他的部队将“以我们自己的全面升级来回应他们的全面升级”。整个八月，他们对政府军阵地发动了无人机和导弹袭击，造成数十名士兵和平民死亡。也门正规军进行了猛烈反击。
The Houthis think they have much to gain from restarting the war. Since mid-July their militia(民兵组织) has been firing at(向……射击) Saudi-linked ships in the Red Sea, as well as ports, airports and refineries(炼油厂). Hardly any(几乎没有任何) Saudi tankers(油轮) have sailed through the Bab al-Mandab Strait(曼德海峡，连接红海与亚丁湾), at the sea’s southern tip, this month, according to Kpler, a data provider. The Houthis’ attacks have two aims. First, to blackmail(敲诈，勒索) the kingdom into paying Yemeni civil servants and lifting restrictions on flights and shipping. Second, to seize the initiative(夺取主动权). If the Saudis and their allies were planning an offensive, the Houthis have beaten them to it.(如果沙特及其盟友计划进攻，胡塞武装已抢先一步。)
胡塞武装认为重启战争能带来巨大利益。自七月中旬以来，他们的民兵一直在红海袭击与沙特有关的船只，以及港口、机场和炼油厂。据数据提供商Kpler称，本月几乎没有沙特油轮通过红海南端的曼德海峡。胡塞武装的袭击有两个目的：第一，勒索沙特王国支付也门公务员工资，并解除对航班和航运的限制；第二，夺取主动权。如果沙特及其盟友计划进攻，胡塞武装已经抢先一步。
They may also have bigger goals. The Houthis have controlled Yemen’s north-west, including the capital, Sana’a, and much of the west coast, since 2014. Some 70% of Yemenis live under their rule. But the rebels have long wanted more. On August 15th Houthi missiles(导弹) hit the port of Mokha, near Bab al-Mandab, forcing(迫使) it to close. The attacks seem designed to weaken the National Resistance Forces, an elite group of government-backed fighters that use Mokha as a base.(袭击旨在削弱以穆哈为基地的政府精锐部队。) Forcing them from the city would give the Houthis more control of shipping(航运，船舶) through the strait.
他们可能还有更大的目标。自2014年以来，胡塞武装控制了也门西北部，包括首都萨那，以及西海岸的大部分地区。约70%的也门人生活在他们的统治之下。但叛军长期以来想要更多。8月15日，胡塞导弹袭击了曼德海峡附近的穆哈港，迫使其关闭。这些袭击似乎旨在削弱国家抵抗力量，这是一支以穆哈为基地的政府支持的精英战斗部队。将他们赶出该市将使胡塞武装更能控制通过海峡的航运。