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Why Saudi Arabia has returned to war in Yemen
Responsible Statecraft • • world
Key Points:
- On September 10, 2026, the Houthis seized Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and strategic islands in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, gaining a significant advantage in the ongoing conflict.
- In early October, Saudi-backed government forces began reclaiming some territory, accompanied by a severe Saudi air assault on Houthi positions, with support personnel sent from France, Pakistan, and the United States.
- The Houthi offensive is often viewed externally as part of a broader US-Israeli conflict with Iran, but the Yemen war is distinct, originating from the Houthi takeover of Sanaa in 2014 and Saudi Arabia’s coalition intervention in 2015.
- Although the Houthis receive Iranian support and share an alliance, their primary goal remains consolidating control over Yemen, independent of broader US-Iran dynamics.
- The ongoing Iran-US-Israel tensions indirectly intensify the Yemen conflict by emboldening the Houthis, even though the two wars are separate in origin and objectives.
