Changing Mideast.

THE possibilities for further peacebuilding in the Gulf and the Middle East in general are considerable, should the landmark deal signed between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing last week deliver on its lofty goals. One particular theatre of conflict that can benefit immensely is Yemen, where a ruinous eight-year-old war has left the impoverished Arab nation barely functional. The conflict has pit the pro-Iran Houthi movement, which controls the capital Sana'a, against the Yemeni government backed by Saudi Arabia, which intervened militarily in Yemen in March 2015. However, the intervention has been an unmitigated disaster, with the Saudi-led coalition, supported by the West, unleashing intense bombardment, often targeting civilians. The Houthis have responded by attacking Saudi and Emirati cities with missiles. But now, after the breakthrough in Beijing, the Yemeni conflict may be close to a resolution. According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran has agreed to stop arming the Houthis, though officially Tehran denies it is sending weapons to the militia. If the ongoing ceasefire in Yemen takes a more permanent shape, matters may transition to a broad-based dialogue where the country's tribes, confessional groups and political factions can reach a power-sharing deal, and agree to a democratic...