Yemeni factions unite against Houthis but clash on goals

Yemeni factions fighting the Iran-backed Houthis are united mainly by their opposition to the rebels, who control the north and recently advanced along the Red Sea coast, capturing the strategic city of Mokha and islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis' biggest land grab in years ended a truce in place since 2022, with Saudi Arabia now trying to unify thousands of fighters divided by geography, foreign patronage, and competing visions. Factions include the UAE-backed National Resistance Forces and Saudi-backed Giants Brigades, whose leadership disputes contributed to their defeat. The renewed fighting risks a full-scale return to a civil war that killed over 150,000 people, with nearly 130,000 newly displaced and hundreds killed. Saudi Arabia is building a National Shield umbrella group, while southern separatists have threatened government forces, including an attack on the defense minister's convoy.