The battle for Marib: A tipping point of the civil war in Yemen?
The battle for Marib: A tipping point of the civil war in Yemen?
The West is focusing on the tragic humanitarian costs of the war in Yemen while turning a blind eye to the significant strategic implications of a Houthi/Iranian victory.
(April 14, 2021 / Jerusalem Institute of Strategy and Security) After six long and blood-soaked years, the civil war in Yemen shows no sign of ending. The Ansar Allah movement (known as the “Houthis”) are fighting the internationally recognized government of Yemen, which is being supported by a Saudi-led Arab coalition. All efforts to end the war by diplomacy have failed. In essence, this is a proxy war between Iran (which supports the Shi’ite Houthis) and the Sunni Arab world. The outcome of this war may be fateful to the future of the Middle East. If Iran prevails and the Houthis manage to overrun Yemen, the strategic sea route of the Bab el-Mandeb, which is one of the seven m