In this episode of Orion Talks, host Marta Furlan talks with Mr. Abdulghani Al-Iryani on the recent developments in Yemen as the US revisits its approach to the country under President Trump. To start, Mr. Al-Iryani offers an overview of the current state of affairs in Yemen, focusing on the conflict between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government and the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which prior to October 7th seemed to have made some significant progress in their bilateral talks. From there, My Al-Iryani proceeds to discuss the US re-designation of the Houthis as FTO and the recent US military operations on Houthi targets in Yemen, reflecting on the significance and the consequences of those moves. He then presents the reactions that the Houthis and people in Yemen have had to the US strikes, as well as the position taken by regional countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.
Abdulghani Al-Iryani is a Senior Researcher at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies where he focuses on the peace process, conflict analysis, and transformations of the Yemeni state. Al-Iryani has more than three decades of experience as a political and development consultant. Prior to joining the Sana’a Center, Al-Iryani worked with the United Nations in the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and with the United Nations Development Programme’s mission in Hudaydah, as well as with the World Bank on issues related to the conflict in Yemen. Since the 1980s, Al-Iryani has consulted a number of international organizations, including UN agencies, the World Bank, GIZ, USAID, and others.