The Battle for Yemen Begins Again
Summary
Host Thomas Small and Yemen expert Barat Shaban analyze the collapse of the 2022 truce and renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. They discuss the strategic importance of Ma'rib and Mocha, the integration of Southern Transitional Council forces, and the Houthis' complex relationship with Iran. The episode also critiques the 2018 Stockholm Agreement and explores how Houthi escalation aims to leverage influence in potential US-Iran negotiations.
Topics discussed
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Intro: Host's nervousness about past interview with Jeremy Hunt
Background on the Yemeni truce and international involvement
Iranian airliner incident and Houthi retaliation against Saudis
Escalation: Attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and ports
Houthi mobilization and fears of renewed civil war
Mapping the battlefield: Houthi control and population shifts
Strategic importance of Ma'rib and military resistance
Hadramaut front and the National Shield Forces
The port of Mocha and the Giant's Brigades
Emirati support and cohesion among Yemeni government forces
Aden, the STC, and internal government rivalries
Summary of current territorial control and unity
Critique of the 2018 Stockholm Agreement and UK role
Hezbollah's involvement and diplomatic failures
Iranian leverage, Trump administration, and regional pacts
Houthi ideology and relationship with Iran
Houthi cooperation with Iraqi militias and 2019 attacks
Saudi objectives: Red Sea control vs. total victory
Regional geopolitics: Mecca Accords and post-US order
Conclusion and personal reflections
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