INTELBRIEF

Intelbrief / IntelBrief: Houthis Resilient Against U.S. And Gulf Pressure

November 23, 2020

IntelBrief: Houthis Resilient Against U.S. And Gulf Pressure

Houthi rebel fighters ride on trucks mounted with weapons, during a gathering aimed at mobilizing more fighters for the Houthi movement, in Sanaa, Yemen. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Bottom Line Up Front:

  • The United States and its Gulf allies have failed to significantly roll back the battlefield gains or military capabilities of Yemen’s Houthi movement.
  • As it did for Lebanese Hezbollah, Iranian support has helped build the Houthis into a political power and a strategic force-multiplier for Iran.
  • The designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) could complicate peace and humanitarian efforts without setting back Houthi capabilities.
  • The Trump administration wants to block efforts by the Biden administration to distance U.S. policy from Saudi Arabia and the UAE and to re-engage with Iran.
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