How Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi strategy crashed and burned

Key Points:

• Saudi Arabia’s decade-long strategy to subdue the Houthis through military and financial pressure has failed, as the Houthis recently seized key areas on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and are advancing toward Marib, a critical government stronghold and energy hub.
• Government forces have made some tactical gains but face significant challenges due to a fragmented anti-Houthi coalition lacking unified command and coordination, exacerbated by the UAE’s withdrawal and internal political divisions.
• The Houthis appear increasingly coordinated with Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, as evidenced by drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure launched from Iraqi territory, complicating Riyadh’s security situation amid stalled Gulf-Iran diplomacy.
• U.S. support remains limited to intelligence and targeting assistance, with President Trump indicating reluctance to engage militarily against the Houthis, while other Riyadh allies like Turkey and Pakistan have yet to operationalize defense agreements.
• Given the Houthis’ resilience against extensive military campaigns and their public demands for substantial compensation and revenue sharing, Riyadh faces a difficult choice between costly negotiations or ongoing conflict with persistent threats to its energy infrastructure.