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On October 9, 2025, the Prague Center for Middle East Relations (PCMR) at CEVRO University organized a closed roundtable titled “Houthi Cross-border Networks and Operations: Implications on International Trade, Peace and Security” with Ibrahim Jalal, an expert on the political, economic, and security dynamics of Yemen, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the broader Arabian Peninsula. The discussion was moderated by Filip Sommer, Director of PCMR, and the event was held under the Chatham House Rule. The roundtable focused on the current geopolitical situation in Yemen and its implications for regional and global security. The debate emphasized that Yemen has become one of the most complex arenas in the Middle East, where over the past decade the internal power structure has undergone a profound transformation. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement has consolidated de facto control over the country’s northwest, including the capital Sana’a, thereby creating an alternative system of governance that operates in parallel and in opposition to the internationally recognized government. The country is now deeply fragmented. While the Houthis dominate the northwest, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) controls much of the south, and other areas remain in the hands of tribal groups and local militias. This disintegration of authority has weakened the central government and intensified competition over Yemen’s future political order. At the regional level, the conflict has become increasingly intertwined with Iranian influence, as Tehran provides the Houthis with weapons, strategic guidance, and ideological support. This has enhanced their military capabilities and positioned them as a key ally in Iran’s broader regional strategy, simultaneously threatening the security interests of neighboring Gulf states. The situation has been further escalated by Houthi attacks on maritime shipping in the Red Sea, including drone and missile strikes on commercial routes, which have disrupted international trade and maritime security. These developments have raised concerns about a potential renewal of Saudi and Emirati military operations in Yemen. Finally, the discussion placed the Yemeni conflict within the broader context of the Middle East after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The region has undergone a profound geopolitical transformation: the war in Gaza has revived the centrality of the Palestinian question and led to closer coordination among Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraq’s Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), thereby increasing the risk of a multi-front confrontation. Meanwhile, Gulf monarchies have adopted a cautious approach, seeking to balance security threats with the need to maintain stability and economic diversification. Background Yemen remains one of the most critical flashpoints in the Middle East’s evolving geopolitical landscape. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement has entrenched a de facto system of governance across much of north-west Yemen, directly undermining the authority of the internationally recognized government. This has entrenched the country’s internal fragmentation, producing rival centers of power in both the north and south and eroding prospects for a comprehensive national settlement. Regionally, the Houthis’ alignment with Iran has significantly strengthened their military and political standing, embedding the Yemeni conflict within the broader network of regional rivalries. Their recent operations in the Red Sea, targeting commercial shipping lanes, have drawn international concern, raising the prospect of renewed Saudi and Emirati intervention on the ground. Long-range missile and drone attacks toward Israel further demonstrate the group’s expanding operational reach, escalating regional security tensions.