Yemen’s civil war, now in its second decade, has entered a fresh phase of tension. Iran-backed Houthis have intensified their offensive against Saudi-backed government forces while also striking targets inside southern Saudi Arabia. The interests of regional powers have become entangled with Yemen’s own internal political and military divisions in this long-running conflict.
Here are the main parties involved in the war across the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other extensive areas of the country, and their roles:
Houthi rebels
The Iran-backed Houthis are also known as Ansar Allah, or “Supporters of God.” They control Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and vast stretches of the country. Despite more than a decade of air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition, and attacks by the United States and United Kingdom in recent years, the Houthis have held their ground. Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, they have drawn major international attention through attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea and on Israel itself.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia intervened directly in the Yemen war in 2015, leading a military coalition against the Houthis. Its main objective was to restore the government led by then-president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
However, signs of a shift in Saudi policy emerged later. In 2023, China brokered an initiative to restore relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. This produced a relatively pragmatic and less confrontational relationship between the two regional rivals, which has also had an impact on the Yemen situation.
Presidential Leadership Council (PLC)
Formed with Saudi backing in 2022, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) represents Yemen’s internationally recognised government. It is responsible for running the country’s administrative affairs and advancing negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire. The PLC includes various political leaders and military-linked figures from both northern and southern Yemen. Keeping the various anti-Houthi forces unified under one structure is one of the council’s main objectives.
The Yemeni Congregation for Reform, known as Islah for short, is a Sunni political movement historically linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Although Islah is part of the internationally recognised PLC-led government, the party has maintained its own distinct political and organisational identity, giving it separate influence within the anti-Houthi camp as well.
National Resistance Forces
The National Resistance Forces are a military group closely aligned with the Yemeni government and maintain close ties with Saudi Arabia. The force is led by Tareq Saleh, nephew of Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. It is one of the most important components of the pro-government military forces fighting the Houthis.
A complicated equation
Viewing Yemen’s war simply as a conflict between the Houthis and the government misses the full picture. On one side are the Iran-backed Houthis; on the other, the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government and the various political and military groups aligned with it. Houthi military activity around shipping in the Red Sea and against Israel has broadened this local conflict considerably.
As a result, Yemen’s conflict has simultaneously taken the shape of a civil war, a regional rivalry and an international security crisis. Houthi military activity around Red Sea shipping and Israel has turned this local conflict into a far broader international crisis.