Understanding Yemen's civil war: a conflict with far-reaching ripple effects

A proxy-war is taking place in the Middle East’s poorest country, and some of the most powerful players in that conflict are not even citizens of the state.

The United Nations is warning of a “total collapse” in Yemen. Saudi troops are currently leading a coalition of Arab states in a battle against Yemeni Houthi fighters that began last week. Artillery and rocket fire is being exchanged along the Saudi border to Yemen while helicopters fly overhead.

Further down south in the port of Aden, Houthi fighters and their allied army troops are mounting an offensive on government forces, storming the presidential palace in Aden and trying to take over territory still loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who has fled to Saudi Arabia.

And while this fighting takes place, a regional battle is taking shape as countries across the region firm up their coalitions and draw lines in the sand, setting in motion a conflict with rippling effects that lie far beyond Yemen’s borders.

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SUNNI SAUDI ARABIA VS. SHIA IRAN

To understand the civil war taking place in Yemen, you need look no further than the tension that exists between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Two of the region’s most powerful countries are also regional enemies with opposing religious affiliations.

Iran’s religious doctrine is Shia Islam, and is throwing their financial support behind the their Shiite-aligned Houthi fighters, militants based in northern Yemen.

Saudi Arabia adheres to Sunni Islam, and supports President Hadi and his Sunni loyalists. The Saudi Kingdom shares a border with northern Yemen in an area inhabited by the Houthis, and have engaged in numerous battles with the militant group over the past decade.

Thus, you have two coalitions, the Sunni Sauds supporting and fighting alongside the Yemeni Sunni government, and the Shiite Houthis, who are allegedly receiving financial support from Shiite Tehran.

AL QAEDA IN YEMEN

Another militant group vying for control of the country is the Yemen branch of Al-Qaeda, one of the most active factions of the group in recent years. They are a Sunni organization, opposing both the Shiite Houthis and the Sunni government.

It was Al Qaeda who orchestrated today’s prison break which freed over 200 militants in the southeast.

The rise of al Qaeda could be viewed as a reaction to the Houthi advance, Elliot Abrams, former deputy national security adviser to George W. Bush, told CTV News Channel Friday.

"The Houthis are Shia and backed by Iran, so you have two Sunni reactions against the rather fantastic Houthi advance including al Qaeda, and Sunni states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia," said Abrams.

WHY YEMEN?

Yemen might be the poorest country in the Middle East, but it has great strategic importance for its neighbours. The country sits on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, through which much of the world's oil shipments pass (Including Saudi Arabia’s).

If Iran were to control this waterway, it would give them a significant advantage in the flow of oil both countries export so heavily.

Yemen also has a long border with Saudi Arabia, making the country important for Saudi national security. The country would also serve as an important symbolic victory as two powers fight for control of the region.

TAKING POSITIONS

It is not just Yemen that has Saudi Arabia at odds with Iran. Tehran is a strong supporter of embattled Syrian president (and Shiite aligned) Bashar Al-Assad. Their support also extends to the Iraqi Shiite government and their fight against Sunni ISIS. Iran provides support to Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon, and previously had close ties with Hamas, until the Gaza militants severed ties with Assad and Damascus.

Saudi Arabia is closely aligned with their fellow Sunni Gulf states including Kuwait, Jordan, and the UAE, all of which belong to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Sunni Egypt has also thrown their support behind the Sauds in this conflict, offering to send troops to Yemen if needed. And on Tuesday, Pakistani officials arrived in Saudi Arabia to assess whether they too are needed in the fighter against Shiite rebels in Yemen.

THE U.S.

Yet another actor has an interest in Yemen: the United States. Washington is standing behind the Yemeni President and Saudi Arabia in their clashes with the Iranian-backed Houthis. It’s a position that has the U.S. treading murky waters, since their forces are also fighting on the same side as Iran’s against ISIS. Washington is also feverishly working with Tehran to reach a nuclear deal, negotiations that have Saudi Arabia and much of the Sunni Arab world on edge.

A victory in Yemen sends a message to the rest of the Muslim world. If the country falls to the Houthis, Iran stands tall. If the Yemeni government holds on, Saudi Arabia can lay claim to more power. The conflict between Shiite Houthis and Sunni forces extends into a much larger regional conflict, making this battle an important one to watch

Yemen

➝ Poorest country in the Middle East

➝ Population: 26 million

➝ Main Religion: Muslim 99.1% (65% are Sunni , 35% are Shia)

Political Factions

The Government

Shiite Houthis

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

ISIS in Yemen