SANAA, Yemen — Houthi militia detainees recently released by Saudi Arabia arrived Nov. 28 in Sanaa to be repatriated, leading to speculation over whether Riyadh took the action from a position of power or one of vulnerability.
In a four-year-long proxy war, a Saudi-led Arab coalition has backed the UN-recognized government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, while Riyadh's arch-rival in the Middle East, Iran, supports the Houthi rebels.