THE peace fulcrum of the Middle East—historically balanced on a fragile equilibrium between Gulf stability, global energy transit and proxy deterrence—has been fundamentally shattered by the collapse of the Saudi-Houthis 2022 truce and the renewal of war between them. Driven by the broader geopolitical fallout– of the regional war involving Iran, Israel and the United States, on the one side and the non-state actors, on the other — has rippled outward, destabilizing the entire region.

The Houthi-Saudi conflict has upped the ante as it disrupts the Middle East’s peace fulcrum by escalating regional tensions undermining diplomatic efforts and fueling proxy warfare. This struggle intensifies instability in Yemen, strains Gulf alliances and threatens vital maritime routes like the Red Sea, impacting global trade and security. The conflict also complicates U.S. and international mediation, as competing interests hinder unified solutions. Ultimately, prolonged hostilities weaken state institutions, deepen humanitarian crises and create power vacuums exploited by extremist groups.

In response to devastating Houthi strikes—such as the recent attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed 13 people—Saudi Arabia has activated the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Turkey and Pakistan. Although Iran recently offered to mediate between the Houthis and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia views the Houthis’ deep strikes as direct extensions of Iranian strategy, rendering bilateral trust obsolete and polarizing the region back into rigid pro- and anti-Iran blocs.

Ironically, what began as a civil war in 2014 has........

© Pakistan Observer