The most effective way to defeat the Houthis and reverse their territorial gains would be to empower government forces to fight the group, though such support cannot come from the United States or Israel, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defense and security think tank, told The Jerusalem Post.
Speaking anonymously to protect his connections in Yemen, “A” said international forces need to view the war in Yemen differently from the fight against al-Qaeda, which struggled to hold territory and maintain control. He also advised against viewing the conflict through an international lens, framing it as purely a proxy war between Saudi and Iranian-backed groups rather than a local conflict between a legitimate but ill-equipped government and an armed group over domestic grievances.
“Locals who deal with local dynamics are there to stay, so they have a better understanding of how to navigate the complexities,” he reasoned, noting that international framing could also allow the Houthis to profit from the narrative that they are defending the Yemeni people against foreign aggression.
Empowering local forces also means more than supplying weapons, he stressed, noting that the Houthis have been able to exploit deprivation in Yemen. The civil war, drought and other natural disasters have contributed to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
Even before the latest escalation in the conflict, more than 17.1 million Yemenis were experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including five million on the brink of famine, according to the UNHRC.
Houthi support can be undermined by quality government
Support for the Houthis can be threatened if local populations can be offered a good quality of life in areas governed by the legitimate authorities, he said.
Pointing to the heavily populated city of Taiz, the war’s new front line, he noted that the siege 10 years prior was designed to systematically deprive civilians, spreading suffering as a means to apply pressure, and it was using the same strategy now.
The Houthis first attempted to take control of Taiz in 2015, seizing control of military bases, the local airport, and key government infrastructure. By August, the streets were overrun by members of the pro-government resistance and, unable to capture the city in full, it encircled the territory, blocking the entry of fuel, water, medicine, and commercial goods.
Though international truces occasionally diluted the impact of the siege, it wasn’t until 2024 that a main road opened, allowing the transport of goods and people.
Since early October, the Houthis have begun encircling the city.
Without arms, government can't counter Houthi threat
A warned that without arms, local authorities will be able to do little to break the blockade.
“The Houthis are being armed by the Iranians, and they’re not hiding that. They’re not denying it. The other side is still trying to convince the international community to give them access to what’s necessary,” he said.
He stressed that despite sharing a common enemy with the internationally recognized government of Yemen’s forces, Israel and the United States should not directly arm or fund them.
Instead, their role should be limited to disrupting Iranian weapons shipments to the Houthis. Any more direct involvement, A warned, could play into the Houthis’ hands.
Having built much of their support around portraying themselves as defenders of Gaza, the Houthis could exploit any perceived association between Yemen’s government and Israel to undermine its legitimacy and strengthen their own position.