Knowledge Tree
Yemen
Facts (63)
Sources
Opportunities for Collective Regional Security in the Middle East carnegieendowment.org Mar 5, 2025 31 facts
claimThe violent escalation of hostilities across Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the southern Red Sea disrupted Saudi Arabia's modernization goals and exposed the country to risks such as the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.
accountPrior to October 2023, the United Arab Emirates withdrew from Yemen, redirected its attention to other conflict zones, and deepened its diplomatic, trade, and security ties with Israel.
accountDespite setbacks including the collapse of Hamas, the weakening of Hezbollah, and the fall of the Assad regime, Iran continues to rebuild its network of influence and support its allies and militias in Iraq and Yemen.
claimThe 2023 diplomatic success between Saudi Arabia and Iran led to a decrease in military confrontations in Yemen, a partial withdrawal of Saudi and Emirati forces, and a noticeable decrease in Houthi aggression against Saudi and Emirati territories.
accountThe 2011 uprising in Yemen failed to lead to a democratic transition, resulting in a civil war involving the Iranian-backed Houthi movement, the internationally recognized government, and forces supported by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
claimTürkiye's support for Islamist groups in Libya, Syria, and Yemen caused its diplomatic, political, and trade relations with most Gulf countries, Iraq, and Iran to deteriorate into tensions and confrontation.
claimThe civil war in Yemen persisted despite partial de-escalation efforts mediated by China.
claimRegional actors are currently involved in direct or proxy conflicts: Israel is in tension with Iran; Türkiye is intervening in Syria and Iraq; the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are militarily involved in Yemen; and Egypt is involved in Libya, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.
accountThe United Arab Emirates has ended its military involvement in Yemen and redirected its focus toward influencing civil conflicts in Sudan and Libya while maintaining close ties with Israel.
claimIsrael's confrontations with the Houthis in Yemen have escalated tensions in the Red Sea, jeopardizing maritime security and contributing to regional instability.
accountFollowing the recession of the 2011 uprisings, regional attention shifted toward the threat of terrorist organizations in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
claimIran's traditional strategies to regain influence, such as reasserting the power of its allies in Gaza and Lebanon, rallying the Assad regime in Syria, or deploying Iraqi and Yemeni militias in cross-border operations against Israel, have proven inadequate.
claimBetween 2011 and 2020, Iranian policies, specifically the reliance on militias to execute regional aims, contributed to the destabilization of Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
claimA Middle Eastern Organization for Security and Cooperation, modeled after the 1975 European precedent, could promote peace between Palestinians and Israelis and foster nonviolent coexistence in nations such as Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan.
claimBy October 7, 2023, Iran reestablished diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia through Chinese mediation, which facilitated relative stability in Yemen.
accountThe AKP-led government of Türkiye supported Islamist groups in Libya, Syria, and Yemen during the popular uprisings that evolved into civil wars in those countries.
claimSaudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sought to contain Iranian regional expansion in Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
claimThe United Arab Emirates shifted its foreign policy priorities following its withdrawal from Yemen.
accountThe Arab Spring resulted in the ousting of rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, and the descent of Libya, Syria, and Yemen into civil war.
accountIran expanded its influence in Yemen by providing military, financial, and political support to the Houthi movement, which rose to prominence during the civil war following the 2011 uprising.
claimDespite strategic retreats, Iran is likely to leverage its military, financial, and organizational assets to rebuild cohesion among its proxies in Palestine and Lebanon, reinforce factions in Iraq and Yemen, and adapt to the situation in Syria.
accountPrior to October 2023, Saudi Arabia was distancing itself from regional conflicts like the war in Yemen and normalizing relations with Iran in exchange for security guarantees.
accountIn 2015, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain launched a military intervention as part of the 'Arab Coalition' to counter the Houthi movement in Yemen, which led to repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi and Emirati territories until 2023.
claimIran and Israel have played central roles in perpetuating violence across Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
accountIsrael escalated its military offensives against Iran and its proxies in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen in response to attacks from the Iranian bloc.
claimIsrael's current strategic focus is countering Shiite militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen to limit Iranian regional leverage.
claimIn 2011, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates perceived the Arab Spring uprisings as a destabilizing force that threatened to empower political Islam movements and increase Iranian influence in the region, specifically in Bahrain and Yemen.
accountIn the spring of 2023, China brokered a diplomatic agreement that restored diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had been severed in 2016 due to hostilities in Yemen.
claimIran and Saudi Arabia reached an accord to restore diplomatic ties and de-escalate the conflict in Yemen.
accountThe 2011 political upheavals in the Middle East resulted in the toppling of regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, the onset of civil wars in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, and increased pressure on Jordan and Morocco to implement reforms.
measurementThe proxy war in Yemen, fought between Iran-backed Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people between 2015 and 2023.
The Limits of Iran's Proxy Empire | The New Yorker newyorker.com Mar 12, 2026 8 facts
accountThe United States conducted two military campaigns against Houthi positions and weapons arsenals in Yemen: one under the Biden Administration in 2024, and another under the Trump Administration in the previous year.
claimThe Houthi movement adheres to Zaydism, a branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century and is practiced almost exclusively by followers in Yemen.
claimThe Houthis' survival through U.S.-led military campaigns has potentially strengthened their image within Yemen and solidified their control over the country.
claimThe Houthis have deployed missile launchers, drone-operating units, and military brigades throughout northern Yemen, spanning from the Red Sea coastlines to the border with Saudi Arabia.
accountThe Houthis, originally an insurgent group in northern Yemen, emerged as a significant military and political force following the Arab Spring by exploiting government instability to seize control of large areas of Yemen, including the capital city, Sanaa.
accountThe Houthis successfully survived a multi-year bombing campaign conducted by a Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition that aimed to reinstall the elected government of Yemen.
accountSaudi Arabia is attempting to unify anti-Houthi forces in southern Yemen following the military withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates and the collapse of a militia previously backed by the UAE.
claimThe Houthi movement in Yemen is not politically beholden to Iran, unlike Hezbollah and various Iraqi militias.
After the War: Rethinking Regional Security in the Middle ... arab-reform.net Mar 13, 2026 6 facts
claimGulf states, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen are identified as pressure points through which Iran can threaten the wider regional and international system.
perspectiveA proposed regional pact should combine hard and soft components, including an Arab-Turkish air and missile defense dialogue, joint maritime monitoring in the Gulf and Red Sea, coordinated red lines against attacks on civilians, joint initiatives for the displaced, a regional fund for environmental adaptation, support for the rebuilding of Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, and a push to end wars in Yemen, Libya, and Sudan.
accountDuring his 2023 address to the UN General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displayed a map of a 'new Middle East' that erased Palestine and sidelined Lebanon, Syria, Oman, Yemen, and Iraq.
claimYemen, Libya, and Sudan suffer from regional competition and fragmentation resulting from the rivalry between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt against Türkiye and Qatar.
procedureThe author proposes a three-phase process for regional security in the Middle East: first, a functional regional security forum on air defense, maritime security, and infrastructure protection; second, coordination on conflict files including Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, and Libya; and third, institutionalizing an economic pillar for reconstruction and trade.
accountThe Middle East has incurred significant human, economic, and environmental costs over the last two decades, including the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the war in Syria, state collapse in Libya, Yemen, and Sudan, the genocide in Gaza, wars in Lebanon, mass displacement, and insecurity in the Gulf and Red Sea.
From Arab Spring to regional reset: Saudi-Iranian rivalry ... - Frontiers frontiersin.org Sep 28, 2025 4 facts
referenceT. Juneau authored the article 'Iran's policy towards the Houthis in Yemen: a limited return on a modest investment,' published in International Affairs in 2020.
referenceM. Darwich authored the article 'The Saudi intervention in Yemen: struggling for status,' published in Insight Turkey in 2018.
referenceD. Esfandiary and A. Tabatabai authored the article 'Yemen: an opportunity for Iran-Saudi dialogue?' published in The Washington Quarterly in 2016.
referenceG. Feierstein authored the report 'Resolving the Conflict in Yemen: US Interests, Risks and Policy,' published by the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC in 2017.
Iran's Regional Armed Network - Council on Foreign Relations cfr.org 3 facts
claimIran's proxy network includes groups from Shiite Muslim-majority countries like Iraq and Lebanon, as well as groups from Sunni-majority areas including the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Yemen.
claimYemen's Houthi movement has utilized Iranian support to fire missiles toward Israel and attack commercial ships with alleged Israeli ties in the Red Sea, citing solidarity with Hamas during the Israel-Hamas war.
accountDuring Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israeli soil in April 2024, Iranian partners in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen launched drones and rockets at Israel to support Tehran's air strikes.
Iran's Geopolitical Footprint: Regional Power or Global Contender? moderndiplomacy.eu Mar 26, 2025 2 facts
claimIran supports the Houthi rebels in Yemen as part of a strategy to weaken Saudi Arabia's influence in the Arabian Peninsula and deepen the sectarian divide between Sunni and Shiite factions.
claimIran's strategy of backing the Houthi rebels in Yemen counters Saudi power and challenges the U.S.-Saudi axis that has traditionally dominated the region.
After Khamenei: Regional Reckoning and the Future of Iran's Proxy ... stimson.org Mar 2, 2026 2 facts
We Bombed the Wrong Target Iran's Proxy Network Strategy irregularwarfare.org Mar 10, 2026 1 fact
claimThe Houthis retained power over the majority of Yemen and resumed Red Sea attacks within hours of Operation Epic Fury, despite U.S., U.K., and Israeli military strikes conducted between 2023 and 2025.
Escalation in the Middle East and Beyond unocha.org 7 days ago 1 fact
measurementIn Yemen, 22.3 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance and protection.
A Region at Capacity: War, Displacement, and the Limits of ... mecouncil.org 2 days ago 1 fact
measurementIn 2026, humanitarian needs in the Middle East include 3.6 million people in Palestine requiring $4.1 billion, 16.5 million people in Syria requiring $3.2 billion, and 23.1 million people in Yemen requiring $2.5 billion.
Three Scenarios for the Middle East Crisis, and How to Prepare for ... supplychainbrain.com 4 days ago 1 fact
claimThe 'significant escalation' scenario involves an intensifying U.S.-Israeli campaign to destroy Iran's military capability, with Israel pursuing broader security objectives in Lebanon and elsewhere, while pressure increases on Persian Gulf states and groups like the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon threaten to expand the conflict to the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean.
proxy warfare recalibrated: iran's decentralized proxy strategy in the ... academia.edu 1 fact
accountIsrael conducted strikes against a Houthi port in Yemen following a missile attack on Ben-Gurion Airport, as reported by J. Marks.
Iranian proxy network in Middle East is in disarray, experts ... jpost.com Jan 27, 2025 1 fact
claimThe Islamic Republic of Iran is experiencing a decline in its regional authority and proxy network capabilities, with long-standing investments in groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and factions in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria reportedly unraveling.
Iran's Regional Proxies: Reshaping the Middle East and ... isdp.eu Feb 27, 2024 1 fact
claimAnti-U.S. sentiments in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria have intensified following U.S. strikes in response to the killing of U.S. soldiers in Jordan, which has bolstered the popularity of groups like the Houthis and Hezbollah.