Yemen explained: How the Houthis shook the U.S.-Saudi axis | Global Faultlines podcast
This podcast episode explores the rise of the Houthi movement in Yemen and its impact on regional geopolitics. It discusses their influence on maritime trade routes and their role in the broader Iran-Saudi-Israel conflict.
Why it matters
Understanding the Houthi insurgency is critical for analyzing security in the Red Sea and the stability of the Middle East.
Yemen is no longer just the site of a devastating civil war. The Houthis have emerged as a powerful regional actor, capable of threatening Saudi Arabia, Israel and one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
In this episode, we examine how the Houthis transformed from a domestic insurgency into a regional military force, how the Gaza war expanded their role, and why Yemen has now become a new front in the Iran war.
We look at the Houthis’ relationship with Iran, the strategic importance of the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, the renewed confrontation with Saudi Arabia, and what the escalation means for Yemen’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Can Yemen still find a political settlement, or has the rise of the Houthis permanently changed the balance of power in West Asia?
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