A Precarious Partnership: Navigating the Saudi-STC Relations Amidst Shifting Dynamics and Complex Challenges
Introduction The unexpected Houthi takeover of the capital, Sana’a, in 2014 marked a significant blow to the Saudi policymakers. The Saudis found themselves neighboring an openly hostile and unruly regime, which was readily forging a close alliance with Iran and “the resistance camp.” Despite this disconcerting development, it was only after the succession of leadership in Riyadh and the escalation of events in Yemen that the Saudi-led military intervention commenced in late March 2015, known as the Decisive Storm operation . With this bold measure, the Saudis still lacked a well-defined strategy for achieving their stated goals. Reports indicated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman displayed excessive confidence in his country’s ability to defeat the Houthis and restore President Hadi and the internationally recognized government (IRG) to power in a matter of few weeks . While the case for intervention was well-justified internationally at the time, it overes...