Bloomberg quotes Rafik Hariri Center Deputy Director Danya Greenfield on Iranian support for the Houthi movement in Yemen:
“It’s reasonable to assume that there’s definitely some level of Iranian support and influence and guidance” for the Houthis, said Danya Greenfield, a Yemen specialist at the Atlantic Council in Washington. Meanwhile the Saudis, alongside conventional diplomacy, are sending money and collaborating with tribal leaders to counter the Houthis, she said.
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The conflict in Yemen was not sectarian in nature to begin with, the Atlantic Council’s Greenfield said.
Yet, Saudi and Iranian involvement means that ‘‘local actors will be able to utilize sectarian tensions as a way to mobilize supporters,” she said. “Once it’s out of the bottle how do you put it back?”