Analyst: Houthis use ‘siege’ slogan to advance Iran’s agenda as pressure builds within
Riyadh: Yemeni political researcher Saleh Al-Baidani says the Houthis' use of claims about a siege and unpaid salaries is an attempt to mask the group's agenda with Iran behind humanitarian slogans.
Al-Baidani, who has authored two books on the Yemeni crisis, believes that Yemenis living in areas under Houthi control will play a role in bringing an end to the coup that began in September 2014.
“The Iran-backed group is facing unprecedented popular and economic pressure in areas under its control,” the political researcher says, adding that the Houthis are trying to escape this internal predicament by launching new rounds of escalation.
The comments came during a new episode of Asharq Al-Awsat Podcast, in which Al-Baidani discussed the latest developments in Yemen. The conversation also covered the tribes, the Houthis' political and ideological ties to Iran, and his home governorate of Al-Bayda, which he described as “strategic.”
