The Ongoing Military Conflicts in Syria and Yemen: Recent Developments, Their Consequences, and Scenarios

Abstract

The main aim of the article is to analyse in detail roles played by various regional and nonregional state actors in two of the ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts, namely in Syria and in Yemen, in the period between March 2015 and May 2017. The year 2015 was very significant. That year the Russian military intervention in Syria began, the conflict in Yemen broke out and was internationalized simultaneously. This state-oriented study has two levels of analysis, namely regional and global. Although the global dimension can be observed and analysed in both selected conflicts, its seems to be much more noticeable and significant in case of the Syrian war especially due to the direct Russian engagement as well as the American response to it. A very limited institutionalization of international relations in the Middle East region seriously undermines opportunities for a peaceful conflict resolution in the region and therefore requires participation and engagement of non-regional actors especially of global powers which can exert either direct or indirect pressure on various regional actors. As far as sources are concerned, the study is based on selected documents, monographs, academic articles, reports, and analyses.

An Analysis of Yemen’s Geostrategic Significance and Saudi-Iranian Competition for Regional Hegemony

“…Lastly, Iran's engagement in Yemen has also diverted the attention of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries and weakened their external role. As they grow more interested in Yemen, they may pay less attention to Iranian operations in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon (Osiewicz, 2017). That gave Iran a free hand in these countries, as it is of the utmost importance for Iranian interests, and can be used as a bargain to negotiate the influence and interests later.…”