Prime Minister

As the war on Iran continues to wreak havoc in the region, Yemen has been conspicuously absent from the escalating conflict. All eyes are on the Houthis, who have so far been reluctant to join the war. Should the Houthis mobilize, or should Israel and the US attack Yemen unprovoked, the threat to Sana’a, Yemen’s crown jewel and one of…

The war against Iran by the US and Israel is unleashing chaos across the region. Since the launch of the joint military offensive in the early hours of February 28, Iran’s death toll has reached the thousands, and its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed. Tehran’s retaliation continues to widen, with missiles and drones being fired at Israel,…

Three weeks after Prime Minister Shayea al-Zindani was tasked with forming a government, a notably large cabinet was announced, comprising 35 ministers, including eight ministers of state (see full list and bios below). Since the start of the war, Yemen has seen successive changes in the premiership without corresponding changes in the government, and the formation of quota-based cabinets in…

Yemen’s economy remains under severe strain, with its real GDP projected to decline by 1.5 percent in 2025. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 61 percent of surveyed households in the country struggled to meet their minimum food needs in November. Of this group, 35 percent were facing severe food insecurity. Inadequate food consumption affected 63 percent of households…

The drastic decision to dissolve the Southern Transitional Council (STC) raised fears that Yemen would fall into a familiar cycle: defeat and marginalization of an important constituent of the political body, producing long-lasting, deeply held grievances. One such cycle started immediately after Southern independence. The defeat and banishment of the Front for the Liberation of South Yemen (FLOSY) in 1967…

Political tensions in Hadramawt intensified over the course of the fall, as the rivalry between the Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the UAE, and the Hadramawt Tribal Alliance (HTA), led by Amr bin Habrish, escalated into crisis. At the end of November, public statements by STC figures framed the council as the only legitimate representative of southern political aspirations…

Following women-led demonstrations in Aden and Taiz in May and June, widespread protests erupted in Hadramawt’s capital, Mukalla, on July 28, leading to the storming of a local authority building and the Munawwira electricity plant. The unrest was sparked by severe power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day. Protesters blocked streets, and shops were closed as Hadrami Elite…

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…

The 12-day military confrontation between Israel, the US, and Iran has come to a halt. This was no ordinary exchange of fire; all parties employed their most advanced military capabilities, and both Iran and Israel suffered significant casualties, in addition to material and, perhaps more importantly, psychological losses. After days of a relentless Israeli air campaign, the conflict’s turning point…

The Middle East has been marked by escalating violence and deepening volatility since October 7, 2023. Hamas’ assault against Israel opened the door for the realization of long-standing Israeli ambitions of a reconfigured region, which has fanned the flames of instability in several countries. In Gaza, these ambitions have been propelled not merely by Western indifference but by direct abetment.…