A simple guide to the Yemen conflict

Yemen is back in the global spotlight after the Iran-aligned Houthi group earlier this month made military gains against the forces loyal to the internationally recognised government, tightening its grip over the Red Sea coast. The latest escalation in the Arab region’s most impoverished nation follows a period of relative calm that had largely held since the United Nations-brokered ceasefire in 2022 between the Iran-aligned group and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The Houthi takeover of northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014 had drawn Saudi military intervention. The fighting left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, creating a humanitarian crisis.