In early December, armed groups aligned with the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) and supported by the UAE seized vast swathes of southern and eastern Yemen. After a short period during which they appeared paralyzed, Saudi-backed armed groups succeeded in rolling back these gains and inflicting serious losses on the STC. Until that point, both sides had been nominally aligned…

Alliances are a common phenomenon in Yemen, deeply rooted in the country’s political life and social structures. Yemeni tribes, for example, often form alliances for protection and defense that are based more on mutual interests than on blood ties. This pattern extends into the political sphere, where Yemen has witnessed various types of political alliances during its modern history. This…

In early December, armed forces affiliated with the secessionist, UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized control of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra, displacing tribal forces led by Amr Bin Habrish and 1st Military Region army units affiliated with the Islah party. With its eastward expansion, the STC now controls nearly all of the territory of the former South Yemen state, including its…

China is emerging as a significant external player in Yemen, influencing both the country's internal dynamics and the broader regional landscape. During a meeting with Saudi and Iranian officials on December 9, Beijing reiterated its support for a UN-backed political solution to the conflict. However, despite its official position as a proponent of peace and non-intervention, an increasing number of…

The UN Security Council will decide on the renewal of its targeted sanctions regime and mandate of the Panel of Experts (PoE) for Yemen in a vote scheduled for November 13. In preparation for this, the Panel has released its final report for the past year. It includes detailed findings, with over 100 annexes of supporting material, on Houthi violations…

In 2022, Yemen's internationally recognized government replaced then-President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi with a Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which was tasked with serving as the country’s new executive political and legal authority. While the transition was framed as a response to growing domestic demand for change, it was primarily driven by external influence, most notably from Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom’s…

As a fragile ceasefire takes hold in Gaza, questions are being raised about how it might influence the Houthis’ confrontation with Israel. For nearly two years, these unlikely adversaries have been locked in an unprecedented war of attrition—a conflict that began with symbolic and propagandistic strikes by the Houthis but has since escalated into sustained engagement. The Houthis have thrust…

There have been growing signals of possible international recognition of the Republic of Somaliland. Former British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson alluded to the possibility of US President Donald Trump recognizing Somaliland’s independence in November 2024. His remarks coincided with favorable positions expressed by US officials who had worked with Trump, such as Peter Pham and Tibor Nagy, as well as…

A tenuous ceasefire has gone into effect in Gaza, halting two years of war that have resulted in the deaths of more than 67,000 Palestinians. As part of the first phase of a US-brokered agreement, surviving Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its deadly October 7 incursion have been released, along with a number of Palestinian prisoners, and Israeli forces…

On August 28, Israeli strikes targeted a high-level meeting of ministers appointed by the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) in Sana’a, killing Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi and other cabinet officials. Airstrikes hit residential neighborhoods of Sana’a city a day after Houthi forces launched a ballistic missile toward Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. For over a year, Israel has targeted ports, airports,…