The recent US airstrikes on Yemen signal a dramatic shift in the ongoing conflict. In March 2015, the Saudi Arabia and UAE-led Arab Coalition, with Western military and intelligence support, launched a major military campaign, Decisive Storm. The campaign aimed at pushing back the Iran-backed Houthis after they seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.
Despite the fragile truce that emerged parallel to the formation of Yemen’s Presidential Council in April 2022, the conflict has only deepened. Regional and international actors are increasingly involved. The country also faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The Houthis’ crackdown on aid workers, diplomats, and activists in mid-2024 has led donors to reconsider their support for Yemen. This has been exacerbated by the Trump administration’s decision to shut down USAID—one of Yemen’s largest humanitarian contributors.
Moreover, the Houthis’ missile and drone attacks on Israel after October 7th, along with their role in global trade disruptions, have taken the international community off-guard, with significant costs and consequences.
Speakers in this webinar will address the following key questions:
- What is the current situation in Yemen, and what prospects exist for the resumption of a UN-led peace process?
- What are the current policies and priorities of Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other regional actors in Yemen?
- What is the long-term strategy of the US and the UK regarding Yemen?
- What role does Yemen, and specifically the Houthis, play in current regional conflicts, such as the situation in Gaza?
- How does the US designation of the Houthis as an FTO affect the peace process and humanitarian efforts in Yemen?
