Seth J. Frantzman
The new year in the Middle East has seen several slow-burning conflicts erupt. These include conflicts in Yemen and Syria, as well as internal protests in Iran. In addition, unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, respectively, keep the region on edge. Further afield, civil wars persist in Sudan and Libya.
The major question that hangs over the region is whether a coalition of states, many of them aligned with the United States, can stem these ongoing conflicts. Many of these low-level conflicts have resulted from Iran’s declining power in the region, as other countries and groups seek to fill the vacuum.
Most of the low-level conflicts in the region have deep roots and have led to decades of division. For instance, Yemen has been divided between the Iranian-backed Houthis and rival groups backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. This has led to a three-sided conflict that erupted in late December 2025 as the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) clashed with the Saudi Arabia-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). Now it appears that the PLC, which represents the internationally recognized government of Yemen, has the upper hand, and the UAE is backing off its support for the STC.
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