The recent escalation of conflict in Yemen is seen as a reflection of the power struggle in the Middle East, extending beyond the country’s internal political and military balance. The conflict between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Iranian-backed Houthis constitutes one of the most prominent proxy wars in the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Simultaneously, security concerns in the Red Sea and the Bab el Mandeb Strait directly impact global trade chains, energy supplies, and international maritime transport.
Houthi attacks on Marib and Hadramut in Yemen are considered a significant development highlighting the risk of renewed escalation of the conflict. The Houthis killed at least 30 government soldiers in their attacks on military camps in Marib and Hadramut. Following this, fighting escalated again in several provinces, particularly Al-Jawf, Al-Dali, and Taiz. The port city of Al-Muha on Yemen’s Red Sea coast has also become a target of the attacks.[i]
These attacks are seen not only as tactical military operations, but also as strategic moves carrying messages regarding Yemen’s energy resources, east-west transportation corridors, and Saudi Arabia’s border security. The region is also economically critical due to Yemen’s significant oil and natural gas resources. Therefore, the Houthi pressure on Marib is not only aimed at establishing military control; it also aims to weaken Yemen’s economic infrastructure and the government’s financial capacity. Hadramut, on the other hand, is one of Yemen’s most important geographical regions and holds strategic value due to its proximity to the Saudi Arabian border and its energy resources.
The long-running crisis in Yemen is not merely a civil war. The conflict involves numerous interconnected dynamics, including regional power rivalry, the collapse of state capacity, and the security of international maritime trade. The renewed intensification of fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis, attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and the increasing military presence of international actors have placed Yemen back at the center of the global security agenda.
While the Houthis continue to control large areas in the north of the country and the capital Sana’a, government forces maintain their presence in the south and east. Frontline activity indicates an ongoing pursuit of military dominance rather than a political resolution. The Houthis’ increasingly advanced military and technological capabilities affect not only the balance within Yemen but also regional security. Thanks to this capacity, Houthi forces are able to carry out attacks against both Saudi Arabia and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Thus, Yemen stands out as one of the most important fronts in the strategic rivalry between Riyadh and Tehran.
For Saudi Arabia, the key priority in Yemen is to prevent the permanent establishment of an armed group close to Iran on its southern border. The Houthis’ control over all of Yemen is seen as a serious threat to Saudi Arabia’s national security and the balance of power in the Gulf. Therefore, Riyadh has supported the Yemeni government politically and economically for many years. Iran, on the other hand, considers Yemen a crucial part of its regional deterrence strategy. Through its political support, technology transfer, and military advisory support to the Houthis, Iran can exert low-cost but highly effective pressure on Saudi Arabia. From Tehran’s perspective, Yemen serves as a successful example of hybrid power projection as an alternative to direct conventional warfare. For the Yemeni government, re-establishing control over areas under Houthi control, including Sana’a, means achieving full sovereignty over the country.
A potential Houthi advance could lead to the expansion of their political and military control within Yemen, creating a deterrent against Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, and generating international pressure by targeting global maritime trade in the Red Sea.
The missile and drone attacks, particularly targeting commercial vessels, demonstrate that the Houthis have become an actor capable of exerting influence not only locally but also globally. The most decisive factor increasing the global importance of the Yemen crisis is the country’s geostrategic location on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most critical maritime passages, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. A significant portion of trade between Europe and Asia takes place via this route. Furthermore, a substantial portion of oil and liquefied natural gas shipments from the Gulf countries to European markets also pass through this route.
Therefore, for the international community, the issue extends far beyond a mere power struggle between the Yemeni government and the Houthis. It is also a matter of securing global trade routes, energy transportation, and protecting Asia-Europe maritime connections. These attacks demonstrate once again that the Yemen War is not just an internal political struggle; it is a multifaceted geopolitical crisis linked to Iranian-Saudi rivalry, energy security, and global maritime trade. The recent military escalation in Yemen extends far beyond a local civil war, standing at the intersection of Middle Eastern power rivalry and global maritime security.
In this context, the newly formed Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition is important for supporting maritime security in the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, protecting commercial shipping lanes, and enhancing deterrence against regional threats. While recent steps towards diplomatic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been positive, the Yemen crisis remains one of the most sensitive areas of disagreement between the two countries. For European countries and regional states, the primary objective is to ensure the security of trade routes in the Red Sea and the uninterrupted flow of global energy.
[i] “Houthis launch new attacks on al-Makha and Marib as Yemen conflict escalates”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/16/houthis-launch-new-attacks-on-al-makha-and-marib-as-yemen-conflict-escalates, (Date Accessed: 21.08.2026).
