The Houthis in Yemen from a Realist Perspective: Power, Interest, and Geopolitics

The realist school of international relations focuses on core concepts such as power, interest, and the pursuit of security to explain the behavior of states and non-state actors. From this lens, the Houthi movement in Yemen is no different from any actor struggling to survive within the anarchic nature of the international system. The movement’s rise, actions, and regional impact are highly consistent with the principles of realist theory. 

First, the emergence and empowerment of the Houthi movement are natural consequences of the power vacuum in Yemen. According to realism, such a vacuum inevitably becomes a site of competition and conflict. Following the 2011 uprising and the subsequent civil war, the Yemeni state effectively collapsed, opening a historic window of opportunity for the Houthis. Recognizing that their only means of ensuring security and protecting their interests was through the acquisition of military and political power, the Houthis filled the vacuum, seizing Sana’a and establishing de facto control over much of Yemen. This represents a classic balance of power maneuver—where, in the absence of a strong central government, the most organized and determined actor assumes dominance. 

Second, the role of the Houthis in regional dynamics has made them a part of a broader proxy war. From a realist perspective, international relations constitute an arena of power struggle. The Saudi-led coalition perceives the Houthis as an extension of Iran and acts to limit Tehran’s regional influence while securing its southern borders. Conversely, Iran, in pursuit of its own strategic interests, has provided the Houthis with political, military, and possibly financial support. This situation exemplifies a proxy war in which two major regional powers test their strength within a third country’s territory without direct confrontation. The Houthis, however, are not mere pawns in this struggle; rather, they are independent actors with their own agenda and interests, adept at exploiting great power competition to their advantage. 

Third and most prominently, the Houthis embody the realist concept of survival instinct. Despite airstrikes, economic blockades, and diplomatic isolation by the coalition, their persistence demonstrates the resilience of a non-state actor determined to survive. In this struggle, the Houthis’ use of religious and sectarian rhetoric (specifically their Zaidi identity) functions less as a form of soft power and more as a hard power tool to consolidate internal legitimacy and external support. Moreover, their ballistic missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aim to achieve deterrence by increasing the cost of warfare for their adversaries—a quintessential realist strategy in which a weaker actor employs asymmetric tactics to restrain a stronger one. 

In conclusion, the Houthi movement in Yemen can be understood through the fundamental principles of realism: the pursuit of power, the definition of interests, and the struggle for survival in an anarchic environment. Although not a state, the Houthis behave like one—securing their own safety through military strength and leveraging great power rivalry to their advantage. Their ideological discourse ultimately serves as a veil for these core interests in power and security. The tragedy in Yemen stands as a stark illustration of how the ruthless nature of the international system manifests in the aftermath of state collapse, with the Houthis enduring as actors relentlessly defending their interests within this unforgiving arena. 

References 

• Waltz, K. N. (1979). Theory of International Politics. Addison-Wesley. 

• Morgenthau, H. J. (1948). Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Knopf. 

• Gause, F. G. (2015). Yemen’s Internal Conflicts and Regional Implications. Brookings Institution. 

• Juneau, T. (2016). Iran’s Policy Toward the Houthis in Yemen: A Limited Return on a Modest Investment. International Affairs, 92(3), 647–663. 

• Salisbury, P. (2017). Yemen: National Chaos, Local Order. Chatham House.