As the Houthis attack Saudi ships and infrastructure, Riyadh faces an increasingly difficult choice: absorb the blows to stay out of the Iran war or retaliate and risk a dangerous escalation
Cinzia Bianco welcomes Yasmeen Al-Eryani and Maysaa Shuja al-Deen to unpack the recent developments around Yemen and what they mean for Europe
The Saudi-UAE clash is reshaping dynamics across Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Europe needs to pay attention as new alignments crystallise against what is increasingly framed as a UAE-Israel-Ethiopia axis
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and political interests
The United States has now ended its campaign of airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi movement, having achieved little military success and instead playing into Houthi attempts to consolidate domestic control
Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes expose how actors beyond the great powers can weaponise an interdependent global economy. To help overcome this threat, Europeans should advocate cooperation between the US and China
The US and UK strike on Houthi targets in Yemen has done little to deter the Iranian-backed group from its attacks in the Red Sea. Europeans should instead launch their own maritime operation, engage in diplomacy, and call for a ceasefire in Gaza
The normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran has provided welcome impetus towards peace in Yemen. But resolving the regional dimension of the conflict should not come at the expense of inclusive, intra-Yemeni negotiations under UN auspices
Europeans should resist the temptation of short-term fixes and adopt a longer-term approach to supporting Yemen
The EU should provide targeted support to local communities and organisations in Yemen. This would help sustain the ceasefire and restore Europeans’ credibility in the country
Europeans should resist the temptation of short-term fixes and adopt a longer-term approach to supporting Yemen
As the Houthis attack Saudi ships and infrastructure, Riyadh faces an increasingly difficult choice: absorb the blows to stay out of the Iran war or retaliate and risk a dangerous escalation
The Saudi-UAE clash is reshaping dynamics across Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Europe needs to pay attention as new alignments crystallise against what is increasingly framed as a UAE-Israel-Ethiopia axis
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are experiencing a fracture in their diplomatic relationship. Europeans need to understand the potential impact on their economic and political interests
The United States has now ended its campaign of airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi movement, having achieved little military success and instead playing into Houthi attempts to consolidate domestic control
Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes expose how actors beyond the great powers can weaponise an interdependent global economy. To help overcome this threat, Europeans should advocate cooperation between the US and China
The US and UK strike on Houthi targets in Yemen has done little to deter the Iranian-backed group from its attacks in the Red Sea. Europeans should instead launch their own maritime operation, engage in diplomacy, and call for a ceasefire in Gaza
The normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran has provided welcome impetus towards peace in Yemen. But resolving the regional dimension of the conflict should not come at the expense of inclusive, intra-Yemeni negotiations under UN auspices
The EU should provide targeted support to local communities and organisations in Yemen. This would help sustain the ceasefire and restore Europeans’ credibility in the country
The current truce in Yemen could lead to negotiations on a long-term ceasefire. But this would require greater concessions by the Houthis and sustained diplomatic engagement from regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran
It is time to assemble an anti-Houthi negotiations delegation that reflects the realities on the ground – and that can actually enforce an eventual settlement
Cinzia Bianco welcomes Yasmeen Al-Eryani and Maysaa Shuja al-Deen to unpack the recent developments around Yemen and what they mean for Europe
For Saudi Arabia, the Gaza war is definitely a real security challenge and they want to see a permanent ceasefire as soon as possible for several reasons
Cinzia Bianco comments on Saudi Arabia’s new foreign and regional policy and the implications of the new diplomacy on the regional chessboard
International maritime traffic is much more delicate and vulnerable than it may seem: even a small armed group is capable of blocking one of the world’s most important shipping channels
It is hard to believe that the Houthis have the capabilities and technology to strike submarine cables at that depth
Alberto Rizzi comments on the attack on the submarine cables and the alleged Houthi involvement
The latest information suggests that it is plausible that it was Rubymar, the cargo ship that drifted and then sank after being hit by Houthi missiles, that damaged the cables
Alberto Rizzi comments on the damage to the four cables in the Red Sea where a quarter of Internet traffic between Europe and Asia passes through
It is a well-armed and well-trained group that knows the territory very well and uses guerrilla techniques, being supplied by Iran
Cinzia Bianco speaks on the Red Sea crisis and the consequences of the Houthi attacks on a regional scale