How to justify an intervention: The Saudi Arabian arguments for military intervention in the Yemen Civil War

Abstract: In 2015, a coalition comprised of Saudi Arabia and its allies, conducted a military intervention in Yemen to protect the internationally recognized government. This study aims to analyse how Saudi Arabian officials has justified the intervention to fight against the Houthi rebels through three principles of just war theory. The study uses these principles as analytical tools in an argumentative analysis based on Stephen Toulmins model. The analysis of various statements during the period of 2015–2017, show that Saudi Arabian officials highlight a couple of areas of why an intervention is legitimate; to protect Yemen sovereignty; compliance with international institutions; an alleged involvement of Iran amongst the rebels; and their humanitarian efforts to reconstruct Yemen. The results show that Saudi Arabia employs the language of just war in their campaign to justify their military efforts. This study serves a purpose of understanding on what grounds military intervention can occur. Further research on how military interventions are constructed by arguments in the 21st century will be important.