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Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Disaster

September 16, 2026 · 1 h 3 min

Show notes

Every region-watcher was stunned over past week as the anti-Houthi forces in Yemen suffered an extremely brutal reversal—with global consequences. Aimen lifts up the curtain of inter-Gulf politics to help Thomas understand better what went wrong, and why Saudi Arabia's confused foreign policy may deserve the lion's share of the blame.

For mind-expanding Q&A's with Aimen, join the CONFLICTED COMMUNITY here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Aimen and Thomas discuss:

  • Did Iran dupe Saudi Arabia?
  • How the Houthis humiliated their rivals
  • Mocha falls: Bab al-Mandab exposed
  • Saudi Arabia’s oil lifeline gets hit
  • Why Yemen’s anti-Houthi coalition imploded
  • The bitter Saudi-UAE divorce
  • Has Qatar reshaped Saudi foreign policy?
  • Why Trump refused MBS’s rescue call

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.

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