Alexandra Nikopoulou is a Junior Editor at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies. She holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations, as well as an MA in Mediterranean Studies. She is an Associate Researcher at the Center for Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Islamic Studies (CEMMIS) and a Research Fellow at the University of Peloponnese.
Alexandra's latest contributions
The Yemen Review Quarterly: January-March 2025
On March 15, the US launched Operation Rough Rider, a massive expansion of its aerial campaign against the Houthi group (. The strikes followed a Houthi threat to resume targeting Israeli ships due to the blockade of aid into Gaza on March 2. Strikes have been taking place continuously as of the time of writing. The Houthi-affiliated Health … Read more
Into the Quagmire: Navigating US Policy in Yemen
Since the inauguration of the new US administration, Washington has adopted a fiercer stance against the Houthis, the last resilient pillar of the pro-Iranian Axis of Resistance. The Houthis are the only Iranian ally that have had their power increase in the conflagration with Israel. Their attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea were … Read more
Navigating Yemen’s Ongoing Quest for Peace: Key Challenges and Prospects for 2025
A year of war across the Middle East has profoundly reshaped the region, shifting power dynamics and redrawing the lines of local conflicts. For Yemen, the Gaza war and its repercussions have served as an intensifier to the conflict, driving peace to a stalemate and exacerbating local divisions. The end of 2024 saw an increase in fighting on … Read more
The Yemen Review Quarterly: October-December 2024
Houthi leader Abdelmalek al-Houthi sought to reposition his movement as the head of the Iran-led Axis of Resistance. Israel’s destruction of Gaza and attacks on Lebanon’s Hezbollah, including the killing of its influential leader, Hassan Nasrallah, have left the alliance weakened, a point underscored by the rapid fall of the Assad regime in Syria. … Read more
The Houthis’ Rise Amid the Gaza War and Red Sea Crisis: From Local Actor to Regional Force
Following the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Houthis () rapidly extended their support to the Palestinians, directly targeting Israel, along with Israeli and Western vessels in the Red Sea. This unprecedented crisis has bolstered the group’s regional status and resulted in the escalation of regional tensions and the emergence of a novel threat to … Read more