In January 2015, a Muslim Shia rebel group,
the Houthis, seized control of
the Yemen government in a violent coup. They
are backed by the Iranian government*, and
opposed by Saudi Arabia, both of which have
a vested stake in Yemen’s outcome. So why
are Iran and Saudi Arabia fighting a proxy
war in Yemen?
Well, one of the biggest struggles in the
Muslim world is the difference between Sunni
Muslims and Shia Muslims. If you want more
information, check out our video on the difference
between Sunnis and Shiites. Although Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, Iran, and the Houthis all belong
to specific Islamic sects, they can be more
broadly categorized to explain the conflict.
Iran and the Houthis both identify with Shia
Islam, while Saudi Arabia and the pre-coup
government of Yemen identify with Sunni Islam.
However, on a global level, pitting Saudi
Arabia against Iran is more about who actually
controls the Middle East. In other countries
like Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, the battle
between Sunnis and Shiites is also split along
Saudi-Iranian lines. Baghdad is reported to
currently be under Iranian influence. And
the Houthi fighters have been said to be trained
and armed by Iran, although Iran has denied
this.
Meanwhile, Yemen is backed by the Gulf Cooperation
Council, which is made up of Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab
Emirates. Oman, which is predominantly neither
Sunni nor Shia, refused to be part of the
conflict. The US is also supporting the GCC,
as they have a vested interest in preventing
Yemen from becoming an uncontrolled terrorist
hideout like Somalia. However, the US is only
providing “logistical and intelligence support”,
no US troops or weapons are officially in
play.
Iran’s interest in Yemen is largely considered
to stem from a combination of Yemen’s weak
government, and it’s location in regards
to Saudi Arabia. Yemen borders much of South
Saudi Arabia, and would be a valuable stronghold
for Iran. Additionally, Yemen is home to Al-Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula, who are currently
best known for attacking French newspaper,
Charlie Hebdo, and are considered the most
dangerous radical group against Saudi Arabia.
As the war for control of the Middle East
goes on, Saudi Arabia and Iran are playing
a complicated game. Considering that their
rivalry has been going on for decades, we
may not see who comes out on top for a very
long time.
To learn more about this conflict and where
it stems from, check out our video on the
difference between Sunni & Shia 
Muslims here. Thanks for watching TestTube,
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update on this conflict.
