Red Sea Game: Geopolitical Machinations and Proxy Wars Behind the Yemeni Civil War

Introduction: Yemen Torn Apart
A brief overview of the decade-long civil war in Yemen between the government and Hi rebels, highlighting the strategic value of the Red Sea shipping lanes and how the involvement of external powers such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United States has escalated a conflict into a regional proxy war. Use UN data to reveal the grim reality of 80% of the population relying on aid, setting up the core issue of how great power exacerbates the humanitarian crisis.

I. Saudi-Iran’s Shadow War

1. The Battle for the Oil Throat: Analyze the underlying motivations behind 2015 Saudi-led coalition air strikes on Houthi-controlled territories—to safeguard Red Sea shipping security and curb the expansion of Iranian influence. Use the example the Hodeidah port争夺 to explain the economic lifeline significance of port control for both sides.
2. Weaponizing Sectarian Rivalry: Deconstruct Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shia-led Iran exploit the sectarian divide in Yemen (65% Sunni government forces vs. 35% Zaidi Hi rebels) to turn religious differences into geopolitical chips, leading to a surge in civilian casualties.

II. The Paradox of U.S. Military Intervention1. The Side Effects of Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Analyze the dual goals of the 2025 U.S. air strikes on Houthi missile—ensuring Red Sea shipping lane security and weakening Iran’s allies—but how military strikes backfire by reinforcing the Houthis’ popular support, creating a vicious of the more they bomb, the stronger they get.

2. The Fragile Chain of Ceasefire Agreements: Use the example of the failed UN-bred peace deal in 2023 to reveal how external military intervention undermines peace processes—government forces dragging their feet on withdrawals due to U.S. support,outhis consolidating their positions in the northern mountains with Iranian aid.

III. The Failure and Dilemma of the International Community

1. The Dilemma ofitimacy: Compare the UN-recognized Yemeni government (controlling 75% of the territory but weak governance) with the de facto Houthi authority ( Sana’a and the Red Sea coast), pointing out the contradictory stance of great powers between counter-terrorism and realpolitik.
2. Why Broker Mechanisms Fail: List examples like Oman and China’s mediation efforts, illustrating how the Saudi-Iranian rivalry renders any ceasefire agreement a victim of geopol interests exchange, leading to a vicious cycle of signed agreements and widespread conflict breakdowns.

Conclusion: Where is the Way Out for Yemen’s Crisis?
Summarize triple entrapment of proxy wars, sectarian conflicts, and great power rivalry, questioning the feasibility of a purely military solution. Urge the international community to prioritize lifting the navalade to restore humanitarian corridors, emphasizing that only by balancing the demands of regional powers and establishing an inclusive political framework can the curse of the more intervention, the more turmoil be.