Against the backdrop of increased attacks by the Houthis and Iran at sea, the UN envoy for peace talks in Yemen announced over the weekend that representatives of the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement on a roadmap to end the war between them, underway since 2015.
The terms of the emerging peace agreement are largely a victory for the Houthis: the Iran-supported Shiite militia will keep most of the territories under its control, which include the majority of the population, the capital Sanaa, and access to the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia will lift the air and sea blockade it imposed on these areas and finance the reconstruction of Yemen and its government mechanisms, shared between the Houthis and the recognized Yemeni government, supported by the Saudis.
Riyadh has long been eager to put the war in Yemen behind it in order to buy peace and focus on its internal reforms and ambitious initiatives. This goal is shared by the United States, which is interested in ending the war that has claimed approximately 150,000 victims directly, and twice as many indirectly.
The Saudi-American interest in the success of the peace talks in Yemen gives the Houthis leverage and increases their boldness. They understand that the US will hesitate to pursue a harsh response against them in order not to endanger the fragile peace in Yemen and lead to the collapse of the talks, and for the same reason, Saudi Arabia refuses to take part in the international naval force established to protect the shipping lanes. Moreover, the implementation of the agreement will strengthen the political and economic power of the Houthis, who also demand a share of Yemen's oil revenues, and give them an incentive to continue their new fight against Israel and the United States.
Against the backdrop of increased attacks by the Houthis and Iran at sea, the UN envoy for peace talks in Yemen announced over the weekend that representatives of the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement on a roadmap to end the war between them, underway since 2015.
The terms of the emerging peace agreement are largely a victory for the Houthis: the Iran-supported Shiite militia will keep most of the territories under its control, which include the majority of the population, the capital Sanaa, and access to the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia will lift the air and sea blockade it imposed on these areas and finance the reconstruction of Yemen and its government mechanisms, shared between the Houthis and the recognized Yemeni government, supported by the Saudis.
Riyadh has long been eager to put the war in Yemen behind it in order to buy peace and focus on its internal reforms and ambitious initiatives. This goal is shared by the United States, which is interested in ending the war that has claimed approximately 150,000 victims directly, and twice as many indirectly.
The Saudi-American interest in the success of the peace talks in Yemen gives the Houthis leverage and increases their boldness. They understand that the US will hesitate to pursue a harsh response against them in order not to endanger the fragile peace in Yemen and lead to the collapse of the talks, and for the same reason, Saudi Arabia refuses to take part in the international naval force established to protect the shipping lanes. Moreover, the implementation of the agreement will strengthen the political and economic power of the Houthis, who also demand a share of Yemen's oil revenues, and give them an incentive to continue their new fight against Israel and the United States.