WASHINGTON — The rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran could curb weapons smuggling to Yemen’s Houthis and turn up the pressure on the rebels after eight years of grueling war, a senior US government official told Al-Monitor.
The agreement reached in China this month to resume diplomatic relations between the two regional heavyweights will be put to the test in Yemen, a venue for proxy warfare between Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition supporting the internationally recognized government, and Iran, which backs the country’s Houthi rebels.