Yemen's prime minister visited the battleground city of Marib on Thursday, in an attempt to boost morale among troops as the Iran-backed Houthi offensive to capture the oil-rich region continues.

"History is being written now in Marib," said Prime Minister Maeen Abdul Malik Saeed told senior government officials in the city.

"All of Yemen is following Marib and we came to Marib to be part of this important moment… the state and its capabilities are with you," he added.

The prime minister spoke of the fragile peace that the UN and its affiliates is attempting to broker. He went on to criticise Iran's presence in the region and its attempts to block a peace deal.

"We are not begging for peace that establishes a fragile and racist state on Iran's model and its militias in the region," he said.

Marib is the government's last stronghold in the north but has come under siege from a fierce Houthi offensive, which is seeking to capture the oil-rich region.

Taking Marib would give the Houthis more leverage in future peace talks.

-Agencies