Maha Al-Shehri

The Houthi Adolescence.. Yemen Pays the Price

July 17, 2026 - 00:02 | Last updated July 17, 2026 - 00:02

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This is the reality: The Houthi lost in many situations, when they rebelled, when they went astray and attacked their countrymen and neighbors, when they followed their enemy and allowed their enemy to use them as a cheap tool at the expense of belonging, patriotism, and the honor of political positions that underpin the sovereignty of nations. The Houthi mean nothing even in the eyes of Iran. To a politician, there is nothing uglier than one who betrays his country even if it serves his interests; he is cheap in his own eyes and in the eyes of those who use him.

The relationship between the Houthi group and Iran raises many questions about the collapse of values and principles, and about years of conflict accompanied by much human suffering. In fact, life is not as moral as most people believe; relations between states and groups are not all built on gratitude for gifts and good neighborliness, nor do all alliances arise from economic interests alone. Political history is full of examples in which groups chose rebellion and deviance in contradiction with the interests of their peoples or what their normal relations with neighbors require.

This is what makes the Yemen file one of the most questionable: How did a group belonging to a country that shares long borders and deep social and economic ties with Saudi Arabia come to a close alliance with a regional power thousands of kilometers away? And how did the hostile discourse toward the neighbor become stronger than the bonds of history and geography?

The answer does not lie solely in the idea of 'buying loyalties,' nor in the size of financial or military support, but in the nature of the political project adopted by armed groups. When maintaining power becomes the priority, decision-making criteria change. Then the question is not: Who treated us well? But rather: Who ensures the continuity of our influence, even if it is the enemy?

But there is another dimension that does not receive adequate attention: the psychological dimension. Politics is not just numbers and deals; it is also identity, a sense of belonging, and a narrative that gives followers a feeling of importance. When an external entity succeeds in presenting itself as the ally that provides support, recognition, and status, the relationship transcends direct interests to become part of the group's own identity. Here, changing alliances becomes more difficult, because it is no longer about weapons alone, but about the image the group has formed of itself and its opponents. These are fragile and weak groups to the extent that they ally with an enemy that adopts their orientations and ambitions and uses them for its own interests, especially if it possesses a discourse that unites followers around a cause or political project. In political psychology, concepts such as belonging, collective identity, and a sense of grievance play a role in enhancing group cohesion and sustaining loyalty to their alliances.

In contrast, good neighborliness remains a value that cannot be measured by money alone. Hosting millions of Yemenis in Saudi Arabia, opening work opportunities for them, providing aid to their country, and the billions of riyals that go annually to their families in Yemen—even though they are our brothers and part of our social fabric, fulfilling their roles and receiving their rights—all this creates moral and humanitarian capital, but it does not necessarily guarantee political loyalty. Relations between states and groups are not managed by the logic of gratitude and thanks, but by the balances of power and interest as seen by the parties concerned.

Perhaps the great irony is that those who pay the most for these alliances are the peoples who find themselves prisoners of a conflict in which regional calculations intertwine with local ambitions.

Understanding what is happening in the region requires looking beyond slogans. Geography alone does not forge alliances, aid alone does not ensure good neighborliness, and loyalties are not explained by a single reason. It is a complex network of interests, identity, and influence, where politics intersects with many other factors. The Houthi will be the biggest loser in this.