Key facts
- Former Yemeni PM Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed warned of catastrophic consequences if Taiz falls to Iran-backed Houthis.
- Control of Taiz is seen as key to controlling the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden.
- Saeed cited Houthi long-range drone technology and Iranian support as critical factors in the conflict.
- He described the current Houthi threat as a new era of radical terrorism by semi-state actors using cheap technologies.
The future of western security is at stake in Yemen's civil war, with the city of Taiz becoming a critical frontline, according to former Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed. Saeed, now an adviser to President Rashad al-Alimi, warned that Houthi control of Taiz would be catastrophic, potentially leading to the loss of the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait and Iran expanding its influence. He appealed for increased western assistance to counter the Houthi threat, which he described as a new model of war employing cheap technologies and smuggled components.
Saeed stated that the battle for Taiz is a broader fight for the western world and one of the most important maritime straits. He noted that the Houthis' plan is to control the entire country, with ambitions extending to Aden. The former prime minister admitted that a lack of coordination among government-backed troops, competition between Gulf states, and the Houthis' acquisition of long-range drone technology had contributed to the current pressure.
He described Taiz as a modern, democratic city that would resist Houthi impositions of their Zaydi education, financial, and tax systems. Saeed acknowledged that government forces were unprepared for the current offensive and lacked sufficient coordination. He also linked the Houthi attacks to Iran's strategic pressures, suggesting the Houthis are a tool for Iran to expand the consequences of the war for America. Saeed highlighted the significant transformation of Houthi military capabilities over the past decade, with Iranian support enabling them to launch sophisticated attacks.