The September 21 Revolution: The Birth of a Free Yemen and the End of the Era of Guardianship
The night of September 21, 2014, was not a passing event in Yemen’s modern history, but a turning point that reshaped its political, social, and military landscape. It marked the country’s transition from foreign guardianship, fragmentation, and collapse into a new era defined by sovereignty, freedom, and independence.
It was a revolution in which the Yemeni people rose up to reclaim their stolen decision, restore their land and security, and lay the foundations of a national liberation project that restored dignity to the Yemeni people—today embodied in military victories, security achievements, and a resistant path of development.
Yemen Before the Revolution: A Country Under Guardianship and Chaos
Prior to the dawn of the September 21 Revolution, Yemen’s sovereignty and decisions were held hostage by foreign powers and dictated by the ambassadors of the so-called “Group of Ten,” led by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and the UK. The Gulf Initiative paralyzed the constitution, subjected Yemen to Chapter VII of the UN Charter, and turned foreign embassies into the country’s de facto rulers—redrawing the army’s structure, imposing federal divisions, and drafting constitutions serving their own interests.
Economically, the state was collapsing: despite revenues from oil, gas, ports, and customs, the government declared itself unable to pay salaries as corruption networks and foreign companies looted national wealth.
Security conditions also deteriorated sharply. Takfiri groups expanded in al-Bayda, Abyan, Hadramawt, and Shabwa, carrying out assassinations in the heart of Sana’a against military, political, and security leaders, turning the capital into a theater of bloody bombings.
A People’s Revolution and Wise Leadership
Out of this collapse, the September 21 Revolution emerged, led by Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi. With his conscious vision and Qur’anic wisdom, he was able to guide the popular masses at the decisive moment, setting clear revolutionary goals: ending foreign guardianship and reclaiming national decision-making. Millions took to the streets, rejecting foreign domination, shedding their blood in defiance, and declaring that Yemen after September 21 would never be the same as before.
A Liberation and Renaissance Project
The revolution did not stop at ending guardianship. It laid the foundations for a comprehensive national project:
The Peace and Partnership Agreement, which brought together all political forces under one roof.
Confronting and uprooting takfiri groups, as in the battles of al-Bayda and Qayfa.
Rebuilding the military institution on national and faith-based foundations, free of foreign dependency.
This transformational project redrew Yemen’s historical trajectory, proving the nation would not remain a playground for foreign influence or terrorism.
Building Power: From Collapse to Strategic Deterrence
The revolution’s greatest achievement is embodied today in Yemen’s military capabilities. From a fragmented, weak army, Yemen now possesses ballistic missiles of varying ranges, hypersonic missiles, and drones capable of striking deep into Zionist territory and breaking U.S. dominance. Naval forces were built to control strategic waterways, and air defenses succeeded in downing advanced American aircraft such as the MQ-9.
These military industries—unthinkable before 2014—have made Yemen a regional power to be reckoned with, proving that a true national army could only be built through the blessings of the September 21 Revolution.
Security Achievements and Foiled Conspiracies
The revolution also ushered in a new era in security. National agencies dismantled espionage networks linked to the U.S. and Israel, thwarted schemes aimed at fracturing society, and curbed moral decay.
Crime rates declined significantly, while vigilance increased—making security institutions a genuine complement to the military in confronting aggression.
Popular Awareness and Legendary Resilience
Since the brutal aggression of March 2015, the Yemeni people’s will has not been broken. Instead, their awareness and commitment to the revolution’s project grew stronger. Yemenis flocked to the frontlines, offered caravans of martyrs, and launched a battle of construction and self-sufficiency—reviving agriculture, especially wheat and grains, and initiating development projects in health, education, and infrastructure.
Restoring Yemen and Its Revolutions
The September 21 Revolution revived the six objectives of the September 26 Revolution, which had been emptied of meaning by client regimes.
In just eleven years, the September 21 Revolution accomplished what decades had failed to achieve: restoring Yemen’s sovereignty, building a strong national army, and laying the foundations of independence. It embraced the causes of the Ummah, championed