ABSTRACT
The Arab Spring brought many uncertainties for Yemen and the transition process has gone in an unexpected direction. During the protests against the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the protesters believed that the removal of Saleh would bring democracy and transparency to the country thus leading to political stability, economic development and social cohesion. The National Dialogue Conference started on March 18, 2013 is a landmark event in Yemen’s political transition. The US, in coordination with the Yemeni security forces, had launched drone attacks on the Al Qaeda-held territories but it achieved limited success. The violence and insecurity became so intense that in March 2015, the World Bank had to suspend its operations in Yemen. The Saudi-Iran tension has again increased with the Saudi intervention in Yemen. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visited Oman and Pakistan–two countries not supporting the Saudi-led ‘Operation Decisive Storm’ in Yemen.
