BEIRUT — The September 21st Revolution in 2014 marks a historic turning point in the Yemeni landscape. It was not merely a protest movement against corruption and marginalization, but rather a radical shift in the structure of power and national sovereignty, repositioning Yemen on the regional and international geopolitics.

This revolution represents a path to changing the internal balance of power. Traditional elites, who had been tied to external dependency for decades, were overthrown, and the concept of “national sovereignty” was restored in the discourse of the new authorities.

This transformation was obviously reflected in the social and political structure of northern Yemen, making Sana’a the epicenter of a raging regional conflict.

Since day one, the leadership in Sana’a raised the slogan of “self-reliance” as one of the pillars of the revolution, and this was achieved through encouraging local production in agriculture and light industry; attempting to break the foreign monopoly on economic inputs; and building a national discourse that rejected dependency.

However, despite the symbolic and political successes, this strategy collided with the reality of the blockade and war, which limited the achievement of real economic independence.  However, this approach contributed to consolidating a culture of economic resilience and the search for local alternatives.

The revolution has further changed the regional security equations, particularly with the control of the capital and state institutions, making Sana’a an undeniable player in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Besides, one of the revolution’s most notable achievements was the adoption of an explicit discourse in defense of Palestine, as Sana’a became a central arena for demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people, viewing the Palestinian cause as an integral part of the revolution’s identity.

Hence, Yemen effectively entered the Axis of Resistance through military operations directed against the Israeli entity or its associated shipping, particularly in the Red Sea.

This strengthened Sana’a’s position in a regional network that includes Iran, Hezbollah, and Palestinian resistance movements. It thus provided a symbolic, political, and military dimension that did not exist in Yemen before 2014, contributing to the expansion of the geography of resistance in the face of the Israeli occupation.

As to Iran, the Iranian-Yemeni relationship was limited to political and ideological dimensions, including moral and media support for the Ansarallah movement, and fell short of a strategic partnership.

After 2014, the relationship witnessed a qualitative shift, with communication channels expanding, military and technical cooperation strengthening, and direct intersections emerging in political and media discourse.

Undoubtedly, the September 21 Revolution in Yemen cannot be understood without considering the ideological and political dimensions that link it to the Islamic Revolution in Iran, as both revolutions share common references.

Ideologically, the Islamic Revolution relied on the principle of “authentic Muhammadan Islam” in opposition to “American Islam”. It raised the slogan “Death to America, Death to Israel” as a cry expressing awareness of the threat of global arrogance. This slogan was not merely a tool of protest; it became a political doctrine symbolizing the rejection of subservience and integration into the Western system.

In the Yemeni context, the September 21 Revolution carried the slogan “The Scream,” launched by Martyr Sayyed Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi (R) at the turn of the millennium, which consisted of the same phrases: God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel,…, Victory to Islam.  This cry was not merely a popular slogan; it transformed into a mobilization and intellectual framework that expresses the essence of the revolution and ideologically links it to the project of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, where both come together to support the oppressed and confront the forces of arrogance.

Politically, as in Iran in 1979, the September 21 Revolution constituted a declaration of the end of subservience and the establishment of independent sovereign decision-making. Iran overthrew the pro-Western Shah, while Sana’a overthrew the political elites that had long been linked to regional and international alliances.

What unites the two experiences is that the Palestinian cause became the heart of their political project: Iran declared “International Quds Day” to enshrine the centrality of Palestine, while Sana’a embraced the Palestinian cause in its literature and military and media practices, emphasizing that hostility to Israel and America is part of its political identity.

Moreover, the Sana’a government demonstrated a growing interest in strengthening relations with emerging international powers, particularly the BRICS countries in a bid to break the political isolation imposed by the West and the Arab coalition; open new trade and financial channels away from the Western financial system, which is subject to sanctions; and benefit from these countries’ expertise in the fields of technology, energy, and infrastructure.

However, the real challenges lie in the lack of official international recognition of the Sana’a government, which limits the scope of potential cooperation. Therefore, the anticipated cooperation may be selective and unannounced, passing through intermediary channels or limited agreements, but it represents an important strategic horizon in Sana’a’s future discourse.

The September 21 Revolution demonstrates that it was not merely an internal event, but a fateful historical transformation that reshaped Yemen’s position in the regional equation; a study of these transformations reveals that Yemen, after September 21, 2014, is no longer merely an arena for local conflict, but rather a key player in the regional and international balance of power, with its say and influence.