Episode 22

Yemen's Wild Card: Who are the Houthis and what do they want?

Published on: 2nd April, 2026

Who are the Houthis in Yemen and why did they wait weeks after the war between Israel, Iran, and the US started in order to get involved?

How did they originate? Where did they come from? What do they want? Are they really just a proxy that does whatever Iran tells them to? Or are they an organization that has their own objectives and are only allied with Iran when it also suits their own purpose?

I'm Jasmine El-Gamal, and this is the View From Here, where every week we take you behind the headlines and into the lives of the people living them.

This week, Jasmine spoke to Baraa Shiban, a Yemeni analyst who has lived with the Houthis, negotiated with them and has spent years trying to figure out exactly what makes them tick. They talked about the recent history of Yemen, how the Houthis evolved into the organization that they are right now, what they really want out of their relationships with Iran, with Hezbollah in Lebanon, how they feel about Saudi Arabia, the United States and Israel and so much more.

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About the Podcast

The View From Here
The View From Here with Jasmine El-Gamal
The View From Here is a brand-new weekly podcast hosted by former Pentagon official and foreign policy analyst Jasmine El-Gamal.

Each Thursday, Jasmine connects the dots between global headlines and the human stories behind them.

From war rooms to conflict zones to refugee camps, she draws on her experiences to examine how policy decisions impact real lives, uncovering the unseen costs of power.

The View from Here is foreign policy, reimagined: from the people shaping it, to those it impacts.

Get in touch with us with your thoughts and questions! You can find us at jasmine@viewfromherepod.com.

Disclaimer: The View from Here aims to showcase a wide range of views and opinions, which do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast or its host.

About your host

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Jasmine El-Gamal

Jasmine El-Gamal is a foreign policy analyst and former Pentagon official who cares deeply about building bridges and changing the way we talk and think about policies that affect us all.

In this polarized, tribal environment, we've lost something essential. We've lost our ability to see each other's humanity across political and cultural divides.

As a first-generation Arab-American who's navigated cultures across North America, the Middle East, and Europe, Jasmine knows what it's like to live between worlds. To see how the same event can be understood completely differently depending on where you're standing.

The View from Here is her brand new podcast where she will break down foreign policy, and the news, and their impact on the humans behind the headlines.