Yemen peace talks begin in Sweden

To think Yemen ever had anything resembling a government is a joke. Much like Afghanistan it is a nation of warring tribes and stability has always been an illusion. The war started in response to calls from the interim Yemeni president for military support after he was ousted by a Houthi coup.

The Saudis expected a quick victory that would put the legal government back in power. Instead they got a war of attrition.

Iran, seeing an opportunity, is funding and supporting this war, spending millions with the goal of creating a client state with a Saudi border from which they can slowly strangle the Monarchy.

Last July, Houthi rebels attacked a loaded Saudi oil tanker near the Bab el-Mandeb strait forcing a suspension of oil shipments. The Yemenis may set targets for long-range missiles but they are unquestionably launched by Iranians, since the Yemenis lack the skill to do so. Their intent is to claim jurisdiction over the approaches to the Red Sea, much like Iran is attempting to control the Strait of Hormuz.

The ability to interdict tanker traffic in the Red Sea as well as in the Persian Gulf would result in having Iran control the flow of world oil. Saudi sees this as a war to the death.