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SANAA, Dec. 4-- The killing of Yemeni former President Ali Abdullah Saleh by Houthi militants on Monday has opened the door for a broader conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia, analysts said. Saleh ruled Yemen for 33 years until protests that erupted during the Arab Spring in 2011 forced him to relinquish power. In late 2017, Saleh allied with the Houthi militants and seized power from the internationally recognized government led by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. But the Houthi-Saleh alliance broke down lately with the two sides fighting each other in the capital Sanaa and other regions under their control in the past week. Prior to the armed clashes, both sides were trading accusations over failing the Yemeni people amid a deepening crisis and looking for foreign support. The murder of Saleh has a different impact on Saudi Arabia and Iran, some analysts said. Saudi Arabia has lost a card which could help it eradicate the Iranian threat in Yemen. Before his killing, Saleh withdrew from the alliance with the Houthis and welcomed talks with Saudi Arabia on condition that it halts airstrikes and a blockade. The latest developments, Saleh's murder in particular, will open the door for a broader conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the country, the analysts said. Nabil Albukiri, a Yemeni researcher in international affairs, said Saudi Arabia is the target of Iran's projects in the region. | 
