Publication

This comment analyzes Iran's perception of Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen as found in Iranian news and political analysis websites. The author observes that overall, the Iranian debate runs contrary to Saudi Arabia's understanding of the crisis. While Saudi Arabia argues that the Huthi takeover in Sanaa represents a "disruption of normalcy" and a dangerous usurpation of power, Iran sees the conflict as a natural consequence of the Yemeni government’s repression and external relations. And while Iran contests Mansur Hadi’s legitimacy and considers the military intervention arbitrary and illegal, Saudi Arabia sees the Huthis as a proxy of Iran, united by a common Shia identity.