Mapping the Dominant Power Relations in the Yemen War Since 2015

Abstract

This chapter serves to map the Yemen war since 2015 from a regional class perspective. The fact that there appear to be many, many actors in the Yemen war, could lead some to be confused or overwhelmed when trying to make sense of the war. But things are not that complicated when using the science of historical materialism: a scientific method rooted in real human history. It is a natural fact that people want to work, live, socialize, eat, laugh, and reap the fruits of their work. The accumulation of monopoly-financial capital does not allow nations of the global South to have the sovereignty to socially develop and live in harmony and dignity. American imperialism seeks the social control of Yemen through Saudi Arabia, the Gulf countries, and the “internationally recognized” Yemeni government because it needs free access inside and outside of the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb. There are then two camps in Yemen: the imperialist camp, that of the USA and the Saudi coalition, and that of the Houthis. The Saudi coalition is not going to let go of Yemen because the Houthis have a nationalist political project that demands Yemen’s independence from the Saudis, Israelis, and Americans, followed by an Iranian rapprochement. The underlying concerns about Iran are not just about potential oil supply disruptions and their resulting price shocks; they are also about the political and military actions hostile to the hegemony of the dollar that is achieved through the petrodollar system.