Iran has lent some support to the Houthis, but its support is not a decisive factor. The Saudis have for exaggerated Iran’s role and have in the process made it difficult for themselves to see the reality.
While both Saudi Arabia and Iran vie for power and influence, Yemenis continue to suffer and the country seems to be slipping into further instability.
While it is too early to predict the outcome of the national dialogue process, at present it looks like that the national dialogue, which is endeavouring to bring all the political parties and other factions under one umbrella, is the last chance for peace in Yemen.
As we move into the second winter of the Arab Spring, this Issue Brief attempts to take stock of the progress of the Arab Spring and examine whether the aspirations of people have been met or have they been handed a raw deal.
Yemen is stuck in a paradoxical and ambiguous situation. While it is widely believed that regime change is necessary, in the absence of reliable alternate leadership, the risk of chaos and instability looms large.
While the Arab Revolution might or might not prove as seminal as the French or the Russian, it has changed the geopolitics significantly and irrevocably.
The events in Tunisia and Egypt have raised hopes among the people and, on the other hand alarmed the undemocratic and authoritarian Arab rulers. Time has arrived for the rulers to take note of the aspirations of the people.
The failure of the government to stem Houthi-led violence and the involvement of the external powers in Yemen’s sectarian problems has aggravated the country’s stability. Yemen has been turned in to a theater of conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Yemen’s Endless Agony
Iran has lent some support to the Houthis, but its support is not a decisive factor. The Saudis have for exaggerated Iran’s role and have in the process made it difficult for themselves to see the reality.