Did Saudi Arabia walk into the Houthi trap?
The article analyzes the escalation of conflict in Yemen following a dispute over an Iranian aircraft carrying Houthi delegates. Saudi-backed forces bombed a runway to prevent the landing, leading the Houthis to end a ceasefire and intensify attacks on Saudi infrastructure and Red Sea shipping.
Why it matters
The conflict has significant implications for regional stability and global maritime security in the Red Sea.
(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)
On July 13, an Iranian civilian aircraft carrying a high-level Houthi delegation was heading towards Sana’a, Yemen’s capital. Under an unwritten understanding between the Houthis (Ansar Allah), who control northern and northwestern Yemen, including Sana’a, and the country’s Saudi-backed government, planes seeking to land in Houthi-held territory were required to obtain prior approval. The Houthi delegation had left Yemen on July 3 on another Iranian aircraft to attend the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader who was assassinated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 when they launched their war against Tehran.
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