[Widget Jr]

As I understand it, Iran is backing the Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia does not want a hostile Iranian proxy on the Arabian Peninsula. Look at a map of the region and the geography of Saudi Arabia's ports, their strategic situation become clear( Map of ports in Saudi Arabia). All of Saudi Arabia's ports are along the Persian Gulf and Red Sea; they have no unobstructed access to the Indian Ocean. Their access to the Mediterranean is through the Suez Canal. Jordan has the Port of Aqaba, which gives them access to the Red Sea and is their only sea port.

Iran can threaten the Persian Gulf directly with naval and air power. If they had a foothold in Yemen, naval forces and groud based missiles could threaten shipping coming from the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden. This would give Iran the option to completely cut off Saudi Arabia from access to the Indian Ocean and their main shipping routes. For the Saudis to fight the Houthis is in their national interest.

[lee martell]

Very complicated. At least to me.
When speaking of the Middle East countries, it’s like speaking of a skeleton, where every individual country is but a small part of the entire form. Quite different than in most of the western world.
I’m that much more pleased that we will soon be pulling most of our men out of those areas. I know there will continue to be some sort of presence, just to monitor. We need some of that money here to build the wall and replace infrastructure.

[Jim Noble]

The Arabs are meant to be ruled, by Turks (preferably), Persians (if the Turks crap out), or in the last resort by Russians.

We are backing the wrong horse in “Saudi” Arabia. If MBS was really Jared Kushner’s idea, it was brilliant only if you accept that devising some strategy to enable Israel to survive was a prime national interest of the US. Obviously, Turkish or Persian rule over Arabia is adverse to Israel’s long-term interests.

But it’s hard to see SA making it in the long run, especially with Kamala Harris (or someone like her) in the White House.

[Cronos]

It's not that way. Iran is diplomatically supporting the Houthis, but it has no way of supporting them militarily

The houthis belong to the Zayidi sect of Shia Islam -- this is quite different from the 12-er sect of Shia Islam that Iran follows (12-er means they believe the first 12 imams were divinely guided and the 13th is the Mahdi)

Zayidis are closer to Hanbali Sunni Muslims in their interpretation of leadership and the divine origin of the Quran

But Wahabbis believe that the Quran was NOT created -- in most of Islam the Quran is consider the WORD of God = Jesus. Yes, the Quran is not the Muslim equivalent of the Bible but is the Muslim equivalent of Jesus. The Quran as per 99.95% of Muslims (0.05% are quranists) was/is uncreated and is very word of Allah dictated word for word to Mo. This is why burning a Quran for them is much more than burning a Bible is for us -- to them it is like someone was burning Jesus would be to us

[Cronos]

Anyway, so Iran is only diplomatically supporting the houthis. But the houthis had their own state - North yemen until 1991. And a large chunk of Yemen was grabbed by the Al-Sauds in the 1920s

the current war is Saudis play for power and they are failing