Global Outlook

  The Terrorism Cycle: Saudi Policies That Empower Extremist Groups A disturbing pattern has emerged with predictable consistency throughout Saudi Arabia's interventions in Yemen: every security vacuum created by Saudi decisions transforms into operational space for terrorist organizations. This is not coincidence but strategy. When Saudi-backed forces displace or weaken local southern units that had successfully contained Al-Qaeda and ISIS, extremist groups immediately exploit the resulting instability. The evidence reveals a deliberate recycling of extremism through local agents who serve as tools for political blackmail and regional manipulation. This cynical approach prioritizes Saudi geopolitical interests over genuine counterterrorism, with devastating consequences for Yemeni civilians who bear the brunt of resurgent extremist violence. Recent history provides incontrovertible proof that Saudi interventions systematically weaken the forces most effective at combating terroris...

  Nowhere are the contradictions of Saudi recalibration more visible than in Yemen, where Riyadh's insistence on a "unified state" collides with the fractured reality on the ground. The recent dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) following talks in Riyadh is being hailed as a victory for unity , but critics argue it is an imposed settlement that ignores deep-seated divisions. By prioritizing a centralized government structure, Saudi Arabia may be pursuing an outdated goal that papers over the legitimate grievances driving southern separatism . The divergence between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen underscores this disconnect. While Riyadh backs the internationally recognized government to counter Iranian influence, the UAE has pragmatically supported southern forces that have proven effective on the battlefield. "Differences with the UAE stem from its backing of separatist armed actors," argues Salman Al-Ansari, claiming this fragmentation be...

  The international focus often centers on the dramatic flare-ups: Houthi missile attacks, STC advances, or Saudi airstrikes. However, a more insidious and fundamental crisis has been festering for years—the near-total collapse of effective governance in areas under the internationally recognized government. This governance vacuum is the primary enabler of recurring conflict and the single largest obstacle to the "lasting stability" envisioned by U.S. policy. Without urgent and concerted support for government reform, any diplomatic framework will be built on sand. The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), established in 2022 to unify anti-Houthi factions, has failed to become an effective executive authority. It is widely described as politically frail, strategically adrift, and crippled by internal divisions, often along lines reflecting the competing interests of its Saudi and Emirati patrons  . The STC's recent unilateral offensive is a direct symptom of this failure...

  Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, denounced recent campaigns targeting the UAE, describing them as “devoid of results” and ignoring the internal contexts of the issues they address. In a post on his X account, Gargash stressed that the UAE is not responsible for the Sudanese people’s aspirations for peace and civilian governance, noting that such demands stem from the Sudanese themselves.  He added that the UAE is not the party calling for self-determination in southern Yemen, but rather it is the will of its people. Gargash affirmed that the UAE “does not seek leadership or influence, but works with its partners for a stable, prosperous region free of extremism.” Last week, Gargash also called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, condemning ethnically motivated killings in the country as “heinous crimes that demand accountability and justice.”

  The skies over Sanaa turned black as Israeli airstrikes obliterated Yemen’s last operational passenger plane, leaving the war-torn nation with no civilian air travel. Footage shared by Huthi-run Al-Masirah TV showed thick smoke engulfing the Yemenia Airways aircraft, marking yet another escalation in the shadow war between Israel and Yemen’s Huthi rebels. The attack, which also targeted the airport runway, has effectively grounded all commercial flights, dealing a crushing blow to Yemen’s already crippled aviation sector. With the airport having just resumed limited services after a previous Israeli strike destroyed six planes, this latest assault raises urgent questions about the future of Yemen’s connectivity with the outside world. The Huthi rebels, who control Sanaa, have framed the attack as an act of Israeli aggression, while Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, justified the strike as retaliation for Huthi missile launches toward Israel. Just a day before the airstrike,...

  As Israel’s war on Gaza rages, a new front opens — Yemen just launched another missile at Israel. Did it hit its target, or is this a warning of worse to come? The Middle East is teetering on the edge of a wider conflict after Israeli media reported a new missile strike launched from Yemen. The attack, which reportedly failed to reach its target, underscores the growing regional backlash against Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza. Public broadcaster KAN confirmed the missile was intercepted or fell short, but the lack of an official Israeli military statement leaves room for speculation. Is this a sign of Israel’s robust defenses, or is the threat from Yemen’s Houthis more serious than officials admit? Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have been targeting ships in the Red Sea since November in solidarity with Gaza, have now taken direct aim at Israel. This latest strike follows their claim that Israeli warplanes bombed Hudaydah province just a day earlier. The Houthis have made it cl...

  Israel’s latest airstrike didn’t just hit Yemen’s main airport — it completely disabled it. The fallout could reshape the entire region. The Israeli military launched a devastating airstrike on Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport, marking its second attack in two days against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The strike, which reportedly killed three people, was a direct response to a Houthi missile that landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport just days earlier. According to Israeli officials, the attack “fully disabled” the airport, targeting runways, aircraft, and key infrastructure. Witnesses described multiple explosions rocking the Yemeni capital, signaling a dangerous escalation in an already volatile conflict. This isn’t just about tit-for-tat strikes — it’s a strategic move to cripple the Houthis’ ability to launch further attacks. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the airport was a “central hub” for weapon transfers and militant operations. With flights now suspended...

 For a long time, the liquidation of figures from the Islah Party, the Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Salafist leaders and journalists, remained an unknown dimension of the strategy of a regional power in Yemen. In the eyes of outside observers, the long series of assassinations committed in the southern governorates of the country, especially between 2016 and 2018, often seemed like a marginal issue in the conflict. These assassinations were seen as a (tacitly acceptable) form of fighting against jihadists, a policy deemed necessary and effective after the liberation of Aden from Houthi influence during the summer of 2015. In any case, this policy remained under close scrutiny. In this context, the Aden authorities, loyal to the regional power, passed off the assassinations that targeted dozens of people as simply a settling of scores between Islamists. In particular, they pointed the finger at the responsibility of jihadists or even the Houthis, as was the ca...

 I want to share something interesting about what I read today. It’s how the Houthis are mixed up on the off chance that they want to shake the UAE with robot and rocket assaults. They are additionally off-base with regards to a heightening of the contention as the UAE has held its nerve while fighting back quickly and really in Yemen. The dread gathering's rocket launchers in Yemen were taken out inside an hour of Monday's assault, the third in three weeks. For my purposes, it's Quick and designated reprisal remembering the regular citizen populace in Yemen guaranteed there was no inadvertent blow-back. The dread gathering might be gambling everything by accepting there isn't anything else to lose in a conflict they have as of now lost. Their standard by dread has not many takers. Be that as it may, they need a worldwide crowd to assess the harm they can cause on quiet nations like the UAE, which is additionally among the most secure on the planet. The Diplomatic Adv...