Why negotiating with the Houthis is futile

Arab News · 16‏/10‏/2026، 10:43:22 ص

With the conflict in Yemen against the Houthis having dragged on for a decade and a half, some are inclined to deal with the group as the de facto authority rather than continue fighting it. After all, those who ruled Sanaa in the past were generally dealt with regardless of their identity or ideology. This is a pragmatic proposition. The problem, however, lies in the Houthi project itself. The group is fundamentally at odds with the very idea of the state, and its conduct has revealed its deter