LONDON: For almost four years, Yemen has been enjoying a period of relative peace. So why do the Houthi militia suddenly appear to be doing their best to provoke a return to large-scale military operations in the country?
The answer, analysts believe, is that the war in Iran, which has steadily escalated out of control, embroiling the Arab Gulf states, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and dramatically impacting global oil supplies, is now dragging Yemen into its orbit.
“The Houthis had been waiting to see whether their military involvement might be needed or called for in the conflict between the US and Iran, and had largely kept their powder dry, apart from a limited number of attacks targeting Israel,” wrote Nabeel A. Khoury, a former US deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Yemen, in an analysis issued by the Arab Center Washington DC.
This screen grab taken from a video footage released by the Al-Masirah TV and made available via AFPTV on July 13, 2026 shows smoke rising from the airport in Sanaa. (AFP)
Despite their backing for Hamas during the 2023-25 war in Gaza, he added, the Houthis had “initially kept a low profile during the war on Iran launched by Israel and the Trump administration in February 2026.”
