Houthi forces seize Yemeni capital Sanaa, triggering civil war

Houthi fighters storm Sanaa on September 21, 2014, capturing government headquarters and effectively ousting President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's government. The Houthis — a Shia armed movement backed by Iran — had staged mass protests since August demanding reversal of fuel subsidy cuts and the fall of the government. Their swift capture of the capital marks the beginning of Yemen's full-scale civil war. Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa resigns within days. Hadi himself resigns in January 2015. The collapse of the recognized government and the Houthi takeover create the conditions that lead Obama to designate Yemen for TPS in 2015 — and create the ongoing armed conflict that makes safe return to Yemen impossible for the next decade.