Click Here to Watch LIVE on YouTube
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / Eastern Time
Registration is NOT REQUIRED to view the program.
Submit questions to the specialists: questions@ncusar.org
Background and Context
With the recent Houthi advances toward the Bab al-Mandab and the capture of the strategic port town of Mocha, the Yemen conflict has now entered a new phase in the broader confrontation involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and other regional powers. Coupled with recent Houthi attacks on critical West Coast Saudi oil and military facilities, these developments together place unprecedented pressures on global energy markets, international maritime trade and Red Sea security.
Our panel of experts will discuss policy options facing Washington, examine Houthi political objectives and military capabilities, Iran’s role in Yemen, security and economic implications for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. More broadly, our panel will assess the impact on global energy markets should the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab continue to be contested strategic chokepoints in the days ahead.
Welcoming and Introduction:
- Dr. Fadi Hilani, Director of the Levant and Middle East Area Studies Program, Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations | Bio
Moderator:
- Dr. Abderrahim Foukara, Distinguished Fellow for U.S.-Arab Affairs and Media Leadership, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Former Washington D.C. Bureau Chief, Al Jazeera | Bio
Speakers:
- H.E. Jamila Ali Rajaa, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United States | Bio
- Mr. Timothy Lenderking, Former U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Yemen, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs, U.S. Department of State | Bio
- Mr. Hisham Al-Omeisy, Senior Yemen Advisor, European Institute of Peace | Bio