Middle East Eye: Aden Government’s Influence Declining as Houthis Cement Regional Presence
NYN | Reports and Analyses
A report by the British outlet Middle East Eye has revealed that Yemen’s internationally recognized government, based in the temporary capital of Aden, is undergoing a phase of rapid political decline, amid deep internal divisions, while the influence of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in the north continues to grow steadily.
The report states that the Aden-based government is gradually losing its political relevance due to mounting disagreements within the Presidential Leadership Council, while the Houthis have emerged from the Israeli war on Gaza stronger and more entrenched, both militarily and regionally.
According to the report, the Houthis’ sustained attacks over the past two years on Israel and international shipping have elevated them from a mere rebel group to a major regional actor, now directly engaging with Saudi Arabia after years of military confrontation.
(Houthi Resilience Reshapes the Regional Narrative)
Analysts argue that the Houthis’ resilience in the face of Israel and their operations against international shipping in the Red Sea have given the group what they describe as a “narrative victory” both inside Yemen and abroad.
Andreas Krieg, a researcher at King’s College London, stated that the Houthis have demonstrated a cohesive military performance for a non-state actor. He noted that their campaign against global shipping forced major vessels to reroute via the longer Cape of Good Hope passage, triggering a global economic impact.
Krieg added that the group has managed to absorb Israeli retaliatory strikes while maintaining the pace of its operations—thanks to a deeply interwoven tribal, security, and economic network that gives it greater flexibility and resilience despite losses.
He observed that the Houthis have evolved from a Yemeni insurgency into a key Arab player within the “Axis of Resistance,” regularly carrying out strikes inside Israel—gaining them symbolic weight in the process.
(Legitimacy in Name Only)
By contrast, Krieg described the internationally recognized Yemeni government as “ink on paper,” explaining that the ruling Presidential Council in Aden suffers from internal fragmentation and a failure to deliver basic services, while economic crises are worsening due to halted oil exports and Houthi-imposed bans.
Researcher Eleonora Ardemagni noted that the war has given the Houthis an opportunity to broaden their domestic support base. She highlighted that the export ban on oil led to a sharp decline in government revenue and intensified political fractures in the south.
She added that the end of the war in Gaza raises questions about the Houthis’ next strategic moves—particularly whether they will attempt to further expand their regional influence in the post-conflict period.
(Israel Incapable of Hurting the Houthis)
Meanwhile, Lebanese analyst Ali Rizk stated that the Houthis have succeeded in imposing a new deterrence equation against both the U.S. and Israel. He explained that the Americans scaled back after their military involvement in Yemen, while Israel lacks sufficient intelligence to carry out effective strikes on the group.
Rizk emphasized that Yemen represents a completely different battleground than Lebanon, arguing that long distances and difficult geography grant the Houthis a greater capacity to sustain attacks without paying a heavy price—unlike Hezbollah.
He concluded that recent regional shifts have led Israel to now classify the Houthis, rather than Iran, as a primary enemy. He added that Israel’s recent targeting of Hamas officials in Qatar supports the Houthi narrative that the Americans and Israelis are two sides of the same coin.
