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The Terror Designation: Houthis Scramble While Dismissing Its Impact

While not without risks, ​​Trump’s redesignation of the Houthis​​ ​​as a foreign terrorist organization ​​​​​​is a powerful ​​​​​​diplomatic ​​tool​​​​ for Yemen’s government​​​​​​​​. ​ 

Houthi-aligned armed tribesmen in the northern outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, January 16. (REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah)

The Gulf States in a New Syria

Given how Syria after 2011 became a cockpit for external intervention in domestic affairs, the early signs this time for engagement of Gulf states appear more promising, particularly due to their ability to convene and lead in regional affairs.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani in Damascus, Syria, January 24. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

The Coming War in Yemen

Trump’s executive order redesignating the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization threatens direct military action against the Houthis, raising the possibility that the United States could get sucked into another long-term conflict in the Middle East.

Houthi fighters take part in a parade in Sanaa, Yemen, December 18, 2024. (REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah)

The Decline of Iran’s Proxy Network

Trump’s executive order redesignating the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization threatens direct military action against the Houthis, raising the possibility that the United States could get sucked into another long-term conflict in the Middle East.

Demonstrators hold Iranian, Palestinian, and Hezbollah flags and a poster of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a rally commemorating slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Tehran, Iran, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Militarized Nationalism: Oman’s Military Discipline Program

Oman’s Military Discipline Program uses military codes to promote top-down objectives, such as strengthening social cohesion, responsibility, and a sense of national belonging among young Omanis.

Iran’s Options Narrowing Rapidly

With nearly all its obvious national security pathways closed, Iran might be left with no option other than to turn inward toward addressing its domestic strains while seeking de-escalation with adversaries and downplaying its drive for regional influence.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, January 1. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/West Asia News Agency/Handout via REUTERS)

The Struggle for Syria

The flurry of diplomatic activity and the leadership’s announcement of an extended timeline for holding elections signal a prolonged, difficult transition for Syria, with complex internal jousting for power also shaped by external influence.

Syria's newly appointed foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, walks with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji as he is welcomed upon his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 1. (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS)

Assad’s Fall Prompts Initial Gulf Unity but Differences and Concerns Are Emerging

Gulf states met the Syrian regime’s fall with unity and pragmatism. But already differences are emerging in response to the political transition and the possibility of chaos, extremism, and a feeble state unable to preserve its territorial integrity.

A young woman poses for a photo waving a Syrian "revolutionary" flag at a lookout area on Mount Qasioun in Damascus, Syria, December 21. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)