Yemen

Yemen

The civil war in Yemen continues with no solution in sight. The Saudi-UAE led coalition versus the Houthis has shown signs of fracture, particularly in the secessionist southern region, and United Nations-mediated talks have achieved some small successes. The humanitarian crisis—named by the United Nations as the most catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the world—continues to spiral and a resolution to the conflict remains out of reach.

Featured commentary & analysis

Saleh’s death in Yemen is a game changer

Podcast Jun 18, 2026

“Shoot everybody”: US contractors in San Diego court

By Alia Brahimi

In Season 2, Episode 16 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi is joined by Daniel McLaughlin, an international lawyer and Legal Director of the Centre for Justice and Accountability (CJA), a California-based legal nonprofit working on behalf of victims of torture and other atrocity crimes. Daniel and CJA are leading a civil suit in San Diego against a Delaware-registered PMC, Spear Operations Group, for war crimes in Yemen. They represent the Yemeni parliamentarian Anssaf Ali Mayo, who was one of the targets of an alleged hit-squad in Yemen. Daniel talks us through the facts of the case, how it ended up in a California courtroom ten years later, and which US and international laws were ostensibly broken by the PMC. He also argues forcefully that the US government has a duty to regulate how former members of its military use their training and know-how.
Middle East Rule of Law
Saleh’s death in Yemen is a game changer

MENASource Mar 10, 2026

Will the Houthis join the Iran war?

By Allison Minor

Houthi involvement in the Iran war could reignite the Yemen war after four years of relative calm, with significant implications for Yemen and the region.
Conflict Iran
Saleh’s death in Yemen is a game changer

MENASource Oct 16, 2025

After the Gaza cease-fire, what’s next for the Houthis?

By Osamah Al Rawhani

Will the Houthis cease their regional hostilities? The brief response is yes—but likely, only for the time being.
Maritime Security Middle East

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Content

MENASource

Dec 4, 2017

Saleh’s death in Yemen is a game changer

By Tarek Radwan

Earlier today, videos showing armed fighters carrying former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s body surfaced online and shocked the region. The General People’s Congress (GPC) confirmed that Saleh and Assistant Secretary General to the party Yasser al-Awadi were killed in a Houthi attack on one of his compounds. This turn of events holds tremendous implications […]

Yemen

In the News

Dec 4, 2017

Schwedler Joins Al Jazeera to Discuss Yemen After Killing of Ali Abdullah Saleh

By Jillian Schwedler

Watch the full discussion here.

Yemen

MENASource

Nov 30, 2017

Yemen: National reconciliation without foreign intervention

By Nabeel Khoury

It has become blatantly obvious that the Yemen tragedy will not end unless Riyadh decides to unilaterally cease fire and call for a peace roundtable, preferably in a neutral location such as Muscat or even Geneva. Washington could be a catalyst by prodding Saudi Arabia to put diplomacy first and becoming fully engaged in the […]

Yemen

MENASource

Nov 29, 2017

Protecting civilians: A humanitarian responsibility and necessity for ending Yemen’s war

By Jillian Schwedler

To say that Yemen is facing a humanitarian crisis is an understatement. Numerous agencies are struggling to provide aid to a population in desperate need, but aid can only be as effective as the willingness to protect Yemen’s civilian population. That willingness has been lacking on all sides of this multi-sided war. Without civilian protection, […]

Yemen

New Atlanticist

Nov 9, 2017

Did Saudi Crown Prince Just Endanger His Reform Agenda?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Anti-corruption crackdown targets princes, wealthy businessmen Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unleashed an unprecedented crackdown on corruption that has, so far, resulted in the detention of more than two hundred people, including almost a dozen princes. The most significant targets are former crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, whose assets have been frozen; Prince […]

Saudi Arabia The Gulf

Issue Brief

Oct 19, 2017

Iran’s fingerprints in Yemen: real or imagined?

By Elisabeth Kendall

In Iran’s Fingerprints in Yemen: Real or Imagined?, Dr. Elisabeth Kendall, nonresident senior fellow with the Brent Scowcroft Center’s Middle East Peace and Security Initiative and senior research fellow in Arabic and Islamic studies at Pembroke College at Oxford University, investigates the true extent of Iran’s presence in Yemen, including both military and cultural aspects. […]

Iran Security & Defense

MENASource

Sep 21, 2017

The unfolding UN failure in the Yemen war

By Afrah Nasser

Despite the two previous unsuccessful attempts to pass a draft resolution to establish a UN independent international investigation commission into possible Yemen war crimes, sixty-seven Human Rights groups recently initiated another call demanding the establishment of the inquiry commission. The call for a commission is unlikely to be successful, but if it is formed it […]

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Sep 12, 2017

Running out of water: Conflict and water scarcity in Yemen and Syria

By Margaret Suter

Water scarcity may not be the most apparent driver of conflict, yet in Syria and Yemen, the water crisis is an important factor that continues to impact both countries. While the violence and political turmoil in these countries may seem more pressing, the conflicts themselves are linked with water shortages, and exacerbated by this underlying […]

Energy & Environment Syria

MENASource

Jul 20, 2017

Is Saleh Diplomatically Outmaneuvering the Houthis?

By Anthony Biswell

As the Yemen conflict shows no signs of abating, will former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s recent attempts to reach out to Saudi Arabia be taken seriously? A number of key events suggest that Saleh’s attempts to reach out to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members reveal a change in tactics for the long-standing politician.

Yemen

MENASource

Jul 17, 2017

The US Can Decide to Worsen Yemen’s Water Crisis or Alleviate it

By Rachel Furlow

Yemen is currently facing the region’s most severe water crisis. More than half of the population does not have access to clean water and the country is withdrawing their renewable water supplies at a rate of 169 percent, meaning that the population is using more water than can be replenished. Analysts predict that Sana’a—Yemen’s capital […]

Yemen
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Experts

Fellow

Osamah Al Rawhani

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Middle East Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Fellow

Eric Alter

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Arabic French

Fellow

Khaled H. Alyemany

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Arabic Middle East

Expert

Jon Wilks

Distinguished Fellow, Transatlantic Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Crisis Management