'A glass house fearing stones': Do Yemen's Houthis have the capacity to wage a multi-front war?

As regional tensions flare and fighting between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia reignites, questions arise about the Houthi movement's ability to sustain a prolonged, multi-front conflict. Analysts suggest that the group's strategic decisions, including recent attacks and maritime bans, are closely linked to Iran's operational command.

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We are starving while our salaries are with Saudi Arabia. We have starved because Saudi Arabia is besieging us, blocking food, travel, and salaries.

Demonstrations in Sana'a, Yemen's capital, reflect public frustration over economic hardship, with citizens demanding direct action against Saudi Arabia. These protests coincided with the Houthis' announcement of ballistic missile and drone attacks on Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia and a ban on Saudi maritime navigation. Observers interpret these moves as the start of a new phase of military escalation.

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decisions on war and major military operations, such as strikes deep inside Saudi Arabia or disrupting maritime navigation, remain tied to the operations room of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The complex issue of Sana'a International Airport's reopening is central to the ongoing tensions. While Yemen's internationally recognized government has agreed to resume flights under specific arrangements, the Houthis are pushing for direct flights to Tehran using Iranian airlines. This demand is seen by analysts not just as an airport issue, but as a strategic maneuver to advance Iran's regional agenda.

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the Houthis have connected their survival to Iran’s regional strategy, operating as Tehran’s most loyal proxy in the region, while the leadership in Sana'a is largely tasked with mobilization and carrying out operations on the ground.

Political analyst Abdul Salam Mohammed stated that major Houthi operations, like strikes inside Saudi Arabia or disrupting maritime traffic, are directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He believes the Houthis have aligned their survival with Iran's regional strategy, acting as Tehran's primary proxy. The insistence on a direct Sana'a-Tehran air route, he argues, serves Iran's broader alliance goals by complicating international calculations and increasing conflict costs.

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insisting on opening a direct Sana’a–Tehran air route and using the airport as leverage serves the broader agenda of Iran's regional alliance by complicating international calculations and increasing the costs of the conflict.