ASSESSMENTS

Saudi Arabia and Iran Compete in Yemen

Mar 25, 2015 | 08:58 GMT

Saudi Arabia and Iran Compete in Yemen
Militiamen loyal to the government of Yemeni President Abd Rabboh Mansour Hadi sit on top of tanks in the southern city of Aden.

(STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

While the al-Houthi movement struggles to manage multiple regional challenges to its north, its rise to power in Yemen is a setback for Saudi Arabia on its southern flank. After the fall of the Yemeni government, Riyadh will have to capitalize on the al-Houthis' need for political and financial support to re-establish its influence in the country. But because Iran is trying to fill that support gap, too, Yemen has become another battleground where the two sectarian rivals will struggle against one another.

Saudi Arabia will not sit back and let Iran gain influence on its southern border....

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