Yemen/Region: Counter-terrorism remains the focus for Riyadh

The public commentary around the Yemen war in Saudi Arabia and among officials in allied countries is often heavily focused on the actions of the Houthis and Iranian support for their militia. This was exemplified by the testimony of US Central Command (Centcom) commander General Joseph Votel to the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on 27 February when he repeatedly talked about the threat from Iran.However, on the ground in Yemen the dominant feature of international powers’ campaigns is their targeting of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Islamic State (IS or Daesh) forces.