Yemeni political researcher Saleh Al-Baidani says the Houthis' use of claims about a siege and unpaid salaries is an attempt to mask the group's agenda with Iran behind humanitarian slogans.
Al-Baidani, who has authored two books on the Yemeni crisis, believes that Yemenis living in areas under Houthi control will play a role in bringing an end to the coup that began in September 2014.
“The Iran-backed group is facing unprecedented popular and economic pressure in areas under its control,” the political researcher says, adding that the Houthis are trying to escape this internal predicament by launching new rounds of escalation.
The comments came during a new episode of Asharq Al-Awsat Podcast, in which Al-Baidani discussed the latest developments in Yemen. The conversation also covered the tribes, the Houthis' political and ideological ties to Iran, and his home governorate of Al-Bayda, which he described as “strategic.”
3 Reasons Behind the Latest Moves
On a warm August night in Riyadh, Al-Baidani cited three main reasons behind the Houthis' latest moves. The first was to support Iran's position militarily and politically and turn the Houthis into an additional pressure tool in Tehran's hands. The second was an attempt to establish an internal deterrence dynamic that serves the group. The third was linked to growing public anger over economic conditions, levies and taxes, and the declining standard of living.
He said the slogan “I am hungry,” which has begun appearing in areas under Houthi control, reflects the level of accumulated public discontent. He believes that “the explosion will come from within,” and that any future military move by government forces could coincide with a popular uprising in areas controlled by the group.
Regarding the Houthis' relationship with Iran, Al-Baidani rejected arguments that downplay the strength of the ties between the two sides. He said the relationship was no longer merely a political alliance or a convergence of interests, but had, in his words, become a deep ideological and military relationship.
He added that the period when Hassan Irloo was in Sanaa represented an important turning point in reshaping the group's decision-making center. He said the small circle controlling political and military decisions had become more closely aligned with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The discussion also touched on the sectarian dimension. Al-Baidani distinguished between traditional Zaydism, which historically coexisted with the Shafi'i school and other Yemenis, and the version embraced by the Houthi group, which he described as more hardline and closer to Jarudism. He considers the problem to have gone beyond the sectarian dimension to a lineage-based view of power and society.
The Tribe and the Governorate
In discussing the tribe, the political researcher argued that the Houthis have helped revive tribal ties that had faded somewhat in recent years. Asked about the current tribal gathering in Yemen's Al-Jawf governorate, Al-Baidani described the “Al-Rayyan Encampment” as more of a symbolic protest than a military one, while stressing that it nonetheless serves as a symbolic indicator of the level of discontent among the tribes.
Al-Baidani also discussed Al-Bayda governorate, which he described as one of Yemen's most important geographical crossroads because of its central location and its links to eight governorates. He noted that the Houthis recognized its importance early on, which is why it was among the first areas they moved toward after taking control of Sanaa.
Research Work
Al-Baidani discussed the establishment of the “Anaween Center for Research and the Study of Transformations,” explaining that its goal is to examine turning points in Yemen's political landscape rather than simply track events or revisit their background.
He concluded by revealing that he is working on a third book that will, in his words, be “deeper and more comprehensive” than his two previous books, “Faces in the War” and “The Gate of Perdition... The Story of the War in Yemen,” but declined to disclose its title.
The figure who, in his view, remained present on every page of “Faces in the War” without having a chapter devoted to him was the late Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Al-Baidani said Saleh's life was intertwined with most of the figures and political transformations that Yemen experienced over more than three decades.
