Trump’s Big Bet on Saudis Goes Bad as Ragtag Yemen Rebels Resist

  • Iran-backed group has grown in sophistication since war began
  • Conflict has opened up deep regional and sectarian wounds
Photographer: Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

The Yemeni fighters could be heard in the video chanting “Death to America, Death to Israel” from a barren desert ridge after firing on a distant Saudi military vehicle.

While denouncing the Houthis’ battlefield enemies, the clip was really aimed at the rebel army’s own members. With Iran’s help, they’ve held off a vast military machine funded by Yemen’s rich Gulf neighbors for more than four years, and their commanders know the value of morale-boosting propaganda.