The 2014 Houthi Takeover of Sanaa: A Coup or a Revolution

In September 2014, Houthi fighters swept into Sanaa, seizing control of the capital after weeks of protests. This episode examines the lead-up to that takeover, including the role of the Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the unpopular fuel subsidy cuts under President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the political maneuvering that allowed the group to dismantle the Yemeni state. We look at the Houthi movement's roots in the Zaidi revivalism of the 1990s and the six Saada wars, and how the Arab Spring protests of 2011 created a power vacuum. The episode also unpacks the transitional period under the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, the National Dialogue Conference, and how the Houthis exploited grievances to expand from their northern stronghold. Featuring key figures like Ali Abdullah Saleh, who allied with his former enemies, and General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, whose defection paved the way. We also discuss the aftermath: the Saudi-led intervention in 2015 and the ongoing civil war that has become a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. A critical look at how a rebellion became a de facto government.

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