Drawing a parallel between US supplying arms to Israel and Iran supplying arms to Houthis

This morning I sat down to explore a parallel between US supplying arms to Israel and Iran supplying arms to Houthis. My gut feeling is, though the situations are complex and have key differences, the outcome depends on the analyst if he/ she is a friend of United States.

The Parallel:

Proxy Support:
The Western analysts, without any hesitation say both Iranian support for the Houthis and the US support for Israel involve supplying advanced weapons to allied groups or nations engaged in regional conflicts. Over the years Western analysis have been saying, Iran backs the Houthis to extend its influence against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, while the US supports Israel as a key strategic ally in the Middle East.

Strategic Goals:
The mantra of Western analysts is, Iran aims to challenge Western-aligned powers (like Saudi Arabia and Israel), while the US supports Israel to maintain a balance of power favorable to its interests in the region.

Impact on Conflicts:
They also say, both arms supplies prolong conflicts. Iranian weapons bolster Houthi resilience in Yemen’s civil war, while US arms help Israel maintain its military edge in Gaza and against regional threats like Hezbollah.

Key Differences:

Legitimacy and International Recognition:
God Fathers of genocide in Gaza say, Israel is a recognized sovereign state, whereas the Houthis are a rebel group (though they control significant territory in Yemen). This affects how international law and diplomacy perceive the arms transfers.

Military Capabilities:
The reality is, the US arms to Israel include advanced fighter jets, missile defense systems, and intelligence support — a level of military aid far beyond the drones, missiles, and small arms Iran provides to the Houthis.

Transparency and Alliances:
The funniest argument is, the US military aid to Israel is largely public, subject to congressional oversight, and part of formal agreements. Iran’s support for the Houthis is clandestine, violating UN arms embargoes.

Global Perception:
The dishonest Western media go to the extent of saying, the US positions its support as aiding a democracy for self-defense, while Iran’s aid to the Houthis is widely seen as destabilizing and fueling a humanitarian crisis.

 

Iran to be held responsible for attacks by Houthis

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would hold Iran responsible for any attacks carried out by the Houthi group that it backs in Yemen, as his administration expanded the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump returned to the White House, reports Reuters.

Responding to the Houthi movement's threats to international shipping, the US launched a new wave of airstrikes on Saturday. On Monday, the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and Al Jawf governorate north of the capital Sanaa were targeted, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said.

"Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

The White House said that Trump's message to Iran was to take the United States seriously.

The Pentagon said it had struck over 30 sites so far and would use overwhelming lethal force against the Houthis until the group stopped attacks. The Pentagon's chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said the goal was not regime change.

Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich, director of operations at the Joint Staff, said the latest campaign against the Houthis was different to the one under former President Joe Biden because the range of targets was broader and included senior Houthi drone experts.

Grynkewich said dozens of Houthi members were killed in the strike. The Biden administration is not believed to have targeted senior Houthi leaders.

The Houthi-run health ministry said on Sunday that at least 53 people have been killed in the attacks. Five children and two women were among the victims and 98 have been hurt, it said. Reuters could not independently verify those casualty numbers.

One US official told Reuters the strikes might continue for weeks. Washington has also ramped up sanctions pressure on Iran while trying to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

The Houthis say their attacks, which have forced companies to re-route ships to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Sunday the militants would target US ships in the Red Sea as long as the US continues attacks on Yemen.

Under the direction of al-Houthi, who is in his 40s, the ragtag group has become an army of tens of thousands of fighters and acquired an arsenal of armed drones and ballistic missiles.

While Iran champions the Houthis, the Houthis deny being puppets of Tehran, and experts on Yemen say they are motivated primarily by a domestic agenda.

The Houthis' military spokesman, without providing evidence, said in a televised statement early on Monday that the group had launched a second attack against the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.

 

Houthis ban US vessels from entering Red Sea

According the Seatrade Maritime News, Houthis have banned the entry of the US vessels from navigation of the southern Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Gulf Aden, and that it will target US Navy ships in response to US airstrikes on Yemen.

US attacks on Yemen on March 15 have claimed 53 lives, according to the Houthis, as US President Trump increased military action to reopen the Red Sea to commercial shipping.

Posting on Truth Social, the US President said, “The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.”

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US would continue to target the Houthis until their threats to shipping were withdrawn.

The White House posted an article listing Houthi attacks on international shipping and their impact on world trade, including the drop in Red Sea and Suez Canal transits.

Ships continue to avoid the southern Red Sea due to the risk of escalation at short notice in the region, although no Houthi attacks on merchant ships have been reported this year.

The announcement of the Houthis’ ‘ban’ on US vessels follows a statement issued by the group last week that it was resuming a ‘ban’ on Israeli vessels in the Red and Arabian Seas, Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden until Israel allows aid to flow into Gaza.

In January this year, the Houthis lifted its ‘ban’ on international shipping transiting the Red Sea as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas progressed, but warned that aggression against its forces in Yemen by the US or Britain would make the nations’ vessels subject to attack once again.

A further signal of progress was seen in January when the crew of car carrier Galaxy Leader were released after 14 months in Houthis captivity.

The US strikes and Houthi response are in line with expectations when the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was announced - security experts said at the time that the region remained volatile, the ceasefire was fragile, escalation could happen quickly, and Israeli, US and UK ships were particularly at threat.

Since November 2023, there have been 112 incidents recorded in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including six serious incidents, 42 minor incidents, 46 attempted attacks, and four hijackings, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC).

Four mariners have been killed and two seriously injured in Houthi attacks on merchant ships.

 

US Attack on Yemen May Spark War With Iran

In a dramatic escalation of Middle Eastern tensions, US President Donald Trump has ordered decisive military strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen. He declared that the United States would deploy overwhelming lethal force until its strategic objectives were achieved.

Trump justified the campaign by accusing the Houthis of engaging in piracy, violence, and terrorism against American and allied ships, aircraft, and drones in the region. He vowed that no terrorist group would be allowed to interfere with global shipping routes, asserting that American commercial and naval vessels must sail freely through international waterways without fear of attack.

Western media reports have extensively covered the Houthis’ ongoing attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. It is alleged that the Houthis are backed by Iran. They claim their actions are a direct response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. They argue that their attacks are acts of solidarity with Palestinians suffering under Israeli bombardment. The group previously stated they would halt hostilities in the Red Sea if Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas.

Trump’s rhetoric left no room for negotiation. "Support for the Houthi terrorists must end immediately," he declared. "Do not threaten the American people, their President, or worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, beware, because America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it."

His statements signaled a stark warning to regional powers, particularly Iran, which has long been accused of arming and financing the Houthis.

The strikes on Yemen are increasingly viewed not just as an attack on the Houthis, but as the opening of a larger, more dangerous proxy war between the United States and Iran.

While the Houthis themselves are a localized force, their ties to Tehran position them as a key player in the broader struggle for influence across the Middle East.

Iran insists its nuclear program remains peaceful, yet tensions with Washington and its regional ally, Israel, continue to escalate.

Iran’s support for groups like the Houthis, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and various militias in Iraq and Syria are seen by Western powers as efforts to project power and undermine US and Israeli interests.

International condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza continues to grow, with many accusing the country of committing genocide against Palestinians.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has fueled anger across the Middle East, amplifying support for groups like the Houthis who present themselves as defenders of the Palestinian cause.

This complex web of conflicts — Israel’s actions in Gaza, Iran’s regional influence, and US intervention — is increasingly pulling global powers into a dangerous confrontation.

Trump’s military stance is not likely to secure shipping routes in the short term, but it risks inflaming an already volatile region.

With Iran’s deep-rooted influence in Yemen and beyond, the US may find itself drawn further into an extended, unpredictable conflict — one with consequences that could reverberate far beyond the Middle East.

Yemen vows to confront Trump's Gaza plan

The leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has warned United States regarding the plan to displace the Palestinian people from their homeland. 

He threatened if the US attempts to implement this plan, Yemen “will intervene militarily to stop it and act within its holy war duty and will not remain idle.”

Al-Houthi described US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians as a “confiscation of their rights.”

He added Trump is a “criminal accustomed to making ridiculous and absurd statements,” describing the plan as “a joke and naïve talk coming from a president of a country that presents itself as civilized with false titles.”

According to al-Houthi, Trump’s repeated promotion of the displacement plan “reflects his persistence in a criminal project that denies justice and truth.”

Al-Houthi emphasized that Trump’s plan is “illegitimate and unjust” and noted that the US president “seems serious about promoting it and pressuring some Arab states to accept it.”

He added, "We are not surprised by this plan from an American president whose policies reflect tyranny and a history of criminality. There are no limits to Trump’s ambitions, as he supports the aggressive Zionist project and seeks to implement it.”

He explained that Trump's first-term project under the so-called “Deal of the Century” has now evolved in his second term into what he described as the “Crime of the Century.” 

Trump’s plan, he said, aims to achieve what the Israeli invasion of Gaza could not: displacing Palestinians from their land.

Al-Houthi stated that when the US discusses displacing Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, it “seeks to completely liquidate the Palestinian cause.”

The Ansarallah leader highlighted that US deceit has been exposed in every stage of the peace process, and the Americans themselves “betrayed all agreements made between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli enemy regarding the two-state solution, which they supervised.”

Al-Houthi noted that the US “did not respect or consider the Arab states that betrayed Gaza during the aggression” and “supports Israeli expansion across Arab territories.”

Therefore, he stressed the importance of awareness about what comes before and after the displacement plan, as it is “part of the Zionist project aimed at expanding and targeting holy sites, foremost among them the al-Aqsa Mosque. Its success depends on Arab acceptance.”

He affirmed that "Trump’s plan can only succeed if the Arabs accept it, especially the neighboring Arab countries.”

“There is a significant responsibility on the part of the Arab countries that declared a clear stance rejecting Trump’s plan. This is crucial, but the most important thing is maintaining this stance,” he added.

Al-Houthi emphasized that “it is unacceptable for Arabs to accept Trump’s plan; doing so would mean complicity in a terrible crime of displacement.” 

He warned the U.S. is seeking to trap the Arabs, calling for unity in rejecting Trump’s plan and supporting the Palestinian people.

According to al-Houthi, any approval of Trump’s plan will have dangerous repercussions for the region.

Regarding Yemen’s position on threats to resume the war on Gaz, al-Houthi reiterated that Yemen “firmly and principally supports the Palestinian people and their fighters and will stand by them with all available means.”

Al-Houthi vowed that Yemen “will move militarily to target both Israeli and American enemies if they launch an aggression on Gaza.” 

He called on the Yemeni armed forces to maintain full readiness in anticipation of any US aggression.

He added, “We will not hesitate to target the Israeli and American enemies together, monitoring the implementation of the agreement. Our people, through their massive demonstration tomorrow (Friday), will send a warning message to Israel and the US not to break the agreement.”

Al-Houthi concluded his speech by affirming that Yemen “will maintain continuous coordination with the fighters in Palestine and the resistance axis,” addressing them: “You are not alone; we are with you and will remain with you until Palestine is liberated and these evil plans are defeated.”

 

Iran condemns British-US attacks on Yemen

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has issued a stern condemnation of the recent airstrikes conducted by Britain and the United States on Yemen's northern province of Saada.

In a statement released on Sunday, Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei denounced the attacks as flagrant violations of Yemen's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, pointing out that they contradict the principles of international law.

Baqaei highlighted the recurrent nature of these military violations, involving not only the US and Britain but also the Israeli regime, against Yemen.

"These acts of aggression will lead to increased insecurity and further instability in West Asia," Baqaei warned.

In the early days of the New Year, British and US forces launched multiple airstrikes targeting vital infrastructure in Saada.

These attacks have caused significant damage to power stations, communication networks, and other critical infrastructure.

Analysts believe these repeated airstrikes aim to undermine Yemen's ability to support Gaza and are part of a broader strategy to destabilize the region.

Baqaei also criticized the ongoing support provided by Britain and the US to the Israeli regime, describing it as "direct involvement in committing heinous international crimes against the people of Gaza."

He praised the Yemeni people's solidarity with Palestinians and urged the international community, particularly Islamic countries, to take more decisive action to halt the violence in occupied Palestine.

"The international community must take swift and decisive measures to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and ensure their protection," Baqaei asserted.

 

Saudi Arabia extends US$500 million for Yemen

Saudi Arabia has announced a US$500 million economic aid package to support Yemen, aimed at stabilizing the Yemeni economy, strengthening the Central Bank of Yemen, and fostering development and growth for the Yemeni people, reports Saudi Gazette.

A testament to Saudi Arabia’s long-term vision for fostering sustainable development and stability in Yemen

This initiative highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to addressing Yemen’s economic challenges and improving the quality of life for its citizens.

The package includes a US$300 million deposit to the Central Bank of Yemen, designed to enhance financial and monetary stability, and an additional US$200 million to address the country’s US$1.2 billion budget deficit.

The funds will be allocated through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) and will prioritize food security, salary support, operational expenses, and implementing economic reforms to build a stronger financial foundation for Yemen.

Saudi Arabia's efforts aim to stabilize the Yemeni economy and bolster public financial management, while fostering governance and transparency in government institutions.

The aid package is expected to empower Yemen’s private sector to drive sustainable economic growth, create job opportunities, and steer the national economy toward a more sustainable trajectory.

Previous Saudi assistance has yielded significant improvements in Yemen’s economic landscape. Deposits in the Central Bank of Yemen have bolstered foreign reserves, stabilized the local currency, and lowered exchange rate volatility.

This stability has reduced the prices of essential goods, including wheat, rice, milk, cooking oil, and sugar, while easing the costs of fuel and diesel. These measures have not only addressed immediate economic concerns but have also enhanced Yemen's food security and overall quality of life.

Saudi aid has also contributed to key sectors such as healthcare, by covering medication for chronic illnesses and cancer treatments, and education, among others.

Support for electricity generation has been another vital component, with Saudi Arabia supplying oil derivatives to 80 power plants across Yemen.

These initiatives have improved essential services and revitalized Yemen’s critical infrastructure.

Additionally, the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen has implemented 263 development projects and initiatives across Yemen, focusing on sectors including education, health, water, energy, transportation, agriculture, fisheries, and government capacity building.

 

Yemeni missile lands in Tel Aviv

According to Reuters, the Israeli military admitted it failed to intercept a missile from Yemen early on Saturday that fell in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area, and the ambulance service said 14 people received mild injuries.

A spokesperson for Houthis said they had hit a "military target" in the Jaffa area with a ballistic missile.

Paramedics were treating 14 people with minor shrapnel injuries and some were taken to hospital, the ambulance service said in a statement.

The Israeli police reported receiving reports of a fallen missile in a town in the Tel Aviv area.

Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

On Thursday, Israel launched strikes against ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-held parts of Yemen and threatened more attacks against the Yemeni group.

 

US hegemony being challenged by Yemen

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has seriously challenged the US hegemony in West Asia, particularly in light of Washington’s unwavering support for the Israeli regime’s warmongering and military adventurism in the region.

Nearly two weeks after Israel launched its US-backed genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Yemeni army began firing missiles and drones at Israel in support of Palestinians in the besieged enclave. 

Yemen’s armed forces have also been targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November last year.

The Yemeni army later broadened the scope of its attacks targeting American and British warships. These attacks have been in response to airstrikes carried out by these countries against Yemen with the aim of compelling it to cease anti-Israel operations. 

On Tuesday, the Yemeni army struck a significant blow to the US Navy through the execution of two “specific military operations” off the country’s coast.

“The first operation targeted the American aircraft carrier (Abraham) located in the Arabian Sea with a number of cruise missiles and drones,” the spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces said. 

Yahya Sarea added, “The other operation targeted two American destroyers in the Red Sea with a number of ballistic missiles and drones.” 

He noted that the operation had “successfully achieved its objectives”.

The US Defense Department admitted that US warships were targeted but did not acknowledge the attack against the Abraham Lincoln vessel.

Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters following the attacks that two US-guided missile destroyers – the USS Stockdale and USS Spruance – were hit by at least eight one-way attack drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles.

He claimed that the United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) forces “successfully repelled” the Yemeni army’s attacks during a transit of the Bab al-Mandeb strait”, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Since January this year, the US and the UK have conducted multiple airstrikes in Yemen, claiming to target Ansarullah’s positions, with the most recent operations taking place over the weekend.

The US has so far failed to force the Yemeni army to stop its attacks against Israel and the regime’s ships. 

The Ansarullah movement has stressed that it will halt the strikes only if Israel ends its war of genocide on Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 43,700 Palestinians. 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that US strikes against Yemen aim to “further degrade” Ansarullah’s military capability to “protect and defend US forces and personnel in one of the world's most critical waterways”.

For now, the targeting of US warships, including the Abraham Lincoln vessel, clearly indicates that American strikes against Yemen have backfired. 

The Yemeni army has also shot down nearly a dozen US drones over the country’s airspace in the wake of the Gaza war. 

The Yemeni army has significantly upgraded its capabilities, enabling it to effectively target sophisticated US naval vessels and aircraft.

 

US Deploys B2 Stealth Bombers to Attack Yemen without Congressional Approval

The Biden administration on Wednesday deployed B-2 stealth bombers to launch multiple airstrikes on Yemen, attacks that underscored the United States' deep involvement in a deadly regional war that is threatening to engulf the entire Middle East.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that the strikes targeted "numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target US and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden."

CENTCOM said its assessment of the damage inflicted by the strikes is ongoing and does not thus far "indicate civilian casualties." The US military has routinely refused to investigate, acknowledge, or apologize for killing civilians in Yemen and elsewhere in the world.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked vessels in the Red Sea this year in what they say is an effort to stop Israel's decimation of the Gaza Strip. The Biden administration has, in turn, bombed Yemen multiple times this year, strikes that progressive US lawmakers have denounced as dangerous as well as illegal given that the White House did not seek congressional authorization, as required by the Constitution.

"Why is the US bombing Yemen—with a B-2 bomber no less—with zero congressional authorization?" asked Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), following Wednesday's strikes. "Are these members of Congress literally asleep or drugged?"

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that "at the direction" of President Joe Biden, he "authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis' capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend US forces and personnel in one of the world's most critical waterways."

The strikes on one of the poorest nations in the world, Austin said, were "a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified"—a message that observers interpreted as a warning to Iran.

"The employment of US Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrate US global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere," Austin added.

Wednesday's airstrikes reportedly marked the United States' first use of the stealth bombers against Yemen, a country that has been devastated by years of relentless attacks by a US-backed, Saudi-led coalition.

The strikes came days after the Pentagon announced the deployment of American troops and an advanced antimissile system to Israel ahead of the Israeli military's expected attack on Iran.

A coalition of progressive lawmakers warned in response to the troop deployment that "military force will not solve the challenge posed by Iran."

"We need meaningful de-escalation and diplomacy—not a wider war," the lawmakers said. "Addressing the root causes is the only route to achieving long-term security and stability in the region. Nothing in current law authorizes the United States to conduct offensive military action against Iran. We risk becoming entangled in another catastrophic war that will inevitably harm innocent civilians and may cost billions of US taxpayer dollars."

 

United States has become a proxy of Israel

Historically, the United States has used many countries as its proxy, but lately, the super power has become a proxy of Israel. Many of our readers may raise eyebrows on our expression, but they are advised to read today’s post dispassionately.

According to pentagon, the US military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, attacking the bases and weapons systems.

US Central Command (Centcom) forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets around 5.00pm local time. The targets included “Houthi offensive military capabilities,” according to a statement from the command, which is responsible for protecting US interests in the Middle East.

“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition, and merchant vessels,” the statement adds.

US officials earlier told The Associated Press that US military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations.

Houthi media said the strikes hit Yemen’s capital Sanaa, the airport in Hodeida, the south of Dhamar city and the southeast of al-Bayda province — the latter of which has several Houthi military outposts.

The Houthi media also blamed the strikes on US and British forces, but the United Kingdom said it was not involved.

Houthi rebels have launched steady attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea near Yemen since last November. The air and sea attacks, which they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s war with Hamas, have been met with US retaliatory strikes.

The Houthis earlier this week claimed to have shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen, with the US military acknowledging it had lost a drone.

The militia group also claimed responsibility for an attack aimed at three US ships in the Red Sea. US officials say Navy destroyers intercepted the two Houthi drones and more than half a dozen missiles and that there was no damage to its vessels, according to the AP.

The American strikes in Yemen also come amid the backdrop of a growing regional escalation after Iran’s major missile attack on Israel this week in response to a ramped-up Israeli airstrike campaign in Lebanon against the Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

 

Israel getting desperate to attack Iran

Since October 07, 2023 Israeli citizens have been holding their collective breath, knowing that the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and incessant fire exchanges on the northern border could escalate into a full-scale regional war at any moment.

The mysterious attack in Lebanon on Tuesday, in which thousands of pagers in the use of Hezbollah operatives exploded, apparently killing at least 11 and wounding thousands more, has made that possibility more likely than ever.

A war with the Iranian-backed militia to Israel’s north could quickly expand into war with Iran, which has yet to avenge the assassination of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, despite Islamic Republic leaders vowing a response.

Israel, in turn, stated it would exact a heavy price from the Iranian regime were it to carry out a significant attack against the Jewish state.

Maj-Gen. (res.) Itzhak Brik is adamant that war with Iran now would lead to Israel’s destruction.

Security expert Yair Ansbacher is convinced that war with Iran at this point is a must – to avoid Israel’s destruction.

This is the fork in the road that Israel faces today, 11 months after Hamas initiated the horrific October 07 attack, in which 1,200 Israelis and other nationals were murdered and 250 more were taken hostage.

Additional factors such as the apparent exhaustion of negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire agreement, and the Israeli government’s decision earlier in the week to make the return of displaced northern residents an official war goal, have increased the likelihood of a regional war.

Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on the phone earlier in the week, Brik warned that Israel is not prepared for a multi-front war.

“Iran and its proxies have 250,000 missiles, rockets, and drones encircling Israel. Which means about 4,000 munitions hitting the Israeli home front on a daily basis, population centers, Haifa Bay, water and electricity facilities, gas fields [in the Mediterranean Sea], IDF bases, and strategic civilian infrastructure. A regional war can ruin the State of Israel,” he stressed.

Brik further warned that Israel would enter this all-out war alone, without the aid of the United States.

“Iran is backed by Russia, China, and North Korea, who don’t want to lose their [Iranian] asset,” he said, explaining that the US will avoid getting involved in a war that could develop into a world war.

What Israel should do, he advised, is build a strategic alliance with Western and moderate Arab nations that will form a “deterrence balance” against Iran and its partners. Trying to thwart the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capacity is futile, he added, which “is a development that can’t be stopped.”

Ansbacher views the situation differently. He is certain that now is the right time to strike Iran, before it makes its final nuclear breakthrough.

“If today the West has little success in taming the ayatollahs, it will have zero success when they obtain nuclear weapons,” he said via Zoom with the Post last week.

“Iran will provide a nuclear umbrella to terrorists across the globe. Imagine Hezbollah kidnaps [IDF] soldiers on [Israel’s] northern border, and before Israel launches a rescue operation, Hezbollah sends a message that this could result in a nonconventional missile attack. This is a scenario that we cannot accept,” Ansbacher stipulated.

In addition, the possibility of a hostile US administration come the November election, along with the inferior position Iran found itself in after the October 07 attack – exposing its plan to annihilate Israel – means that Jerusalem must now use this narrow opportunity to strike Iran, he noted.

“Tehran’s original plan was to attack Israel simultaneously [on all fronts], and that would have brought us to the brink of extinction. But their plan was disrupted when [Hamas head] Yahya Sinwar jumped the gun. This puts Iran in a weakened position. If the plan had fully worked, Israel would have been caught unawares, with all arms of the octopus around its neck. Then it’s checkmate. But the plan’s disadvantage was its extended period of implementation where many things could go wrong,” Ansbacher said.

Attacking Iran now is Israel’s last chance before it faces an existential threat of a nuclear Islamic Republic, he stressed. If Israel hits Iran in its two centers of power, Tehran and Qom, he added, the Iranian regime, largely unsupported by the nonreligious population, will very likely fall.

Missile fired at Israel

A surface-to-surface missile was fired at central Israel from Yemen on Sunday, hitting an unpopulated area and causing no injuries, reports Reuters.

Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the missile landed at around 0335 GMT, sending residents running for shelter.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the east and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported," the military said.

Loud booms were also heard in the region, which the military said came from missile interceptors that had been launched. It added that its protective guidelines to Israel's residents were unchanged.

Smoke could be seen billowing in an open field in central Israel, according to Reuters, though it was unclear if the fire was started by the missile or debris of an interceptor.

In July, Houthis fired a long-range drone at Tel Aviv, killing one man and wounding four others. The attack prompted Israel to carry out a major air strike on Houthi military targets near Yemen's Hodeidah port, killing at least three people and wounding 87.

The Israeli military also said that 40 projectiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon on Sunday and were either intercepted or landed in open areas.

"No injuries were reported," the military said.

 

Ships carrying Israeli cargo being targeted

An oil tanker has been forced to change route after coming under attack by Yemen’s Ansarallah in the Red Sea. The Greek-flagged SOUNION has been accused of violating the Ansarullah decree banning entry to the ports of occupied Palestine.”

In a televised statement, Yahya Sare’e said the oil tanker “belongs to a company that has ties with the Israeli enemy”. 

The ship was accurately and directly struck while sailing in the Red Sea and is at risk of sinking, according to the senior Yemeni military official. 

Global maritime monitors say the SOUNION was targeted by multiple projectiles off Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah. 

The European Union’s naval forces in the region, deployed to prevent Ansarullah’s operations, said the tanker was carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil, and the attack from Yemen led to the loss of engine power while causing a fire on board. 

The SOUNION is now reportedly anchored near Eritrea amid plans to move it to a safer destination for checks and repairs. 

None of the crew members who were evacuated have been harmed. 

Sare’e also declared that Ansarullah staged a second operation, which targeted the SW NORTH WIND I, reiterating that this vessel also belongs to a company that “deals with the Israeli enemy” and “violated the decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine.” 

This ship, too, was directly and accurately hit while sailing in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, the Ansarullah military spokesman said. 

Maritime monitors say the SW NORTH WIND I suffered damage after an encounter with an uncrewed vessel 57 nautical miles south of Yemen’s port of Aden. 

Ansarullah said the attacks in the Aden Gulf and the Red Sea were carried out with unmanned boats, ballistic missiles, winged missiles, and drones. 

“Our operations will continue until the aggression ceases and the siege on Gaza is lifted, and we will continue to prevent all ships heading to Israel until the blockade on the Gaza Strip is lifted,” Ansarullah added. 

Since November, the Sana’a government forces have carried out scores of attacks against Israeli and Israeli-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea and beyond. 

The arrival of American and British destroyers in the region has failed to deter the Yemeni forces. Bombing attacks by United States and British forces have seen ships and warships belonging to America and Britain also come under attack. 

Ansarullah has waged more than 184 attacks against Israeli, American and British ships in solidarity with Gaza. 

The Sana’a government has informed mediators that its operations will end once a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip and the blockade on the enclave is lifted. 

According to experts, Ansarullah’s military actions have proven very effective amid a significant drop in the number of US and British ships, and ships bound for Israeli ports in the Red Sea. 

The presence of Western warships and the regular bombings on Yemen by America and Britain have failed to weaken or stop Ansarullah’s maritime ban on ships docking at Israeli ports. 

Analysts have said the US-led military failure to end the Red Sea maritime disruption for Israeli-linked ships is all the more embarrassing for the United States, considering that Ansarullah has been subject to almost a decade of war. 

On Friday, Yemenis heeded a call by Ansarullah leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, in a remarkable show of support. People flooded the streets of the capital as well as the governates of Sa’ada, Hodeidah, Hajja, Dhamar, Amran, al-Bayda, Rima, al-Dhalea, Lahij, Ibb, al-Mahwit, al-Jawf and Marib with million-man marches voicing their approval of the government’s policies on Palestine. 

The huge weekly turnout on Fridays, across Yemen has led critics to accuse other Arab states of failing to organize a similar level of street protests against the Israeli massacres in the occupied Palestinian territories. 

The popular domestic support in Yemen has also helped strengthen the determination of Ansarullah to continue its military operations in support of the people and resistance in Gaza. 

 

Saudi Arabia must resist buying US arms

To create the justification for the sale of lethal arms to Israel, the United States has also decided to lift ban on sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. We are of the opinion that Saudi Arabia must resist wasting its money on buying weapons.

The new US mantra is that the Kingdom need weapons amid turmoil in the Middle East following Hamas' deadly attack on Israel and fears of war in the Middle East.

According to the United States, the decision comes as the threat level in the region has been heightened since late last month, with Iran and Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah group vowing to retaliate against Israel after Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran.

One may recall that in the past United States had sold weapons worth billions of dollars, using its mantra, “Iran is a bigger threat for Saudi Arabia as compared to Israel”.

Our perspective is that the Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular does not fear any attack on its soil from any country except United States and its proxy Israel.

Reportedly, the Biden administration has decided to lift a ban on sale of US offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, reversing a three-year-old policy to pressure the kingdom to wind down the Yemen war. Reuters was first to report the decision earlier.

The State Department was lifting its suspension on certain transfers of air-to-ground munitions to Saudi Arabia, a senior department official confirmed.

"We will consider new transfers on a typical case-by-case basis consistent with the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy," the official said.

The administration briefed Congress this week on its decision to lift the ban, a congressional aide said. One source said sales could resume as early as next week. The US government was moving ahead on Friday afternoon with notifications about a sale, a person briefed on the matter said.

"The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours," a senior Biden administration official said.

Under US law, major international weapons deals must be reviewed by members of Congress before they are made final. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have questioned the provision of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia in recent years, citing issues including the toll on civilians of its campaign in Yemen and a range of human rights concerns.

But that opposition has softened amid turmoil in the Middle East following Hamas' deadly October 07, 2023 attack on Israel and because of changes in the conduct of the campaign in Yemen.

Since March 2022 - when the Saudis and Houthis entered into an UN-led truce - there have not been any Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and cross-border fire from Yemen into the kingdom has largely stopped, the administration official said.

"We also note the positive steps that the Saudi Ministry of Defense have taken over the past three years to substantially improve their civilian harm mitigation processes, in part thanks to the work of US trainers and advisors," the State Department official said

Yemen's war is seen as one of several proxy battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis ousted a Saudi-backed government from Sanaa in late 2014 and have been at war against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015, a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.

Biden adopted the tougher stance on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in 2021, citing the kingdom's campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, which has inflicted heavy civilian casualties.

Ties between the kingdom and the United States have warmed since then, as Washington has worked more closely with Riyadh in the aftermath of Hamas' October 07 attack to devise a plan for post-war Gaza.

The Biden administration also has been negotiating a defense pact and an agreement for civil nuclear cooperation with Riyadh as part of a broad deal that envisions Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel, although that remains an elusive goal.

The Houthis have emerged as a strong supporter of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war against Israel. Earlier this year, they attacked commercial ships that they said are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports.

Israel airstrikes Al Hudaydah port of Yemen

According to the Saudi Gazette, at least two people were killed and 80 others injured on Saturday in Israeli airstrikes on the Al Hudaydah port in western Yemen.

“The crime of the Israeli enemy targeting Al Hudaydah governorate has killed two people and injured 80 others, most of them with severe burns,” the Houthi-affiliated Health Ministry said, according to the group’s SABA news agency.

Earlier, the Al-Masirah broadcaster reported that the airstrikes targeted oil storage facilities in the Al Hudaydah port. The broadcaster also aired images of massive fires which it claimed erupted following the airstrikes on the city's port.

“The Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the city of Al Hudaydah in Yemen,” the Israeli website Walla quoted an unnamed US official.

The Israeli army said in a statement that its warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting Houthi positions at Al Hudaydah’s port in Yemen. “The airstrikes were in response to hundreds of attacks against Israel over the past few months,” it added.

The Houthis have been targeting ships that are Israeli-owned, flagged, operated, or headed to Israeli ports in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under a devastating Israeli onslaught since October 07, last year.

Houthis attack cargo ship in Gulf of Aden

According to Reuters, Houthis have hit and damaged a Singapore-flagged container ship with two missiles on Friday as they escalate attacks on global shipping over Israel's war in Gaza.

The overnight assault on the Lobivia cargo ship came as Houthis also claimed responsibility for a fiery, long-range aerial drone strike in the center of Tel Aviv that killed one man and wounded four others.

The Houthis in recent weeks have become more adept at inflicting damage on their targets. In June, they struck the Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier with missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat, causing it to sink.

"Their capacity, their access to more sophisticated weapons, has only increased over the course of this conflict," said Gerald Feierstein, director of the Arabian Peninsula Affairs Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree in a television speech on Friday said the group launched the Lobivia strikes, adding that the assault also included drones. The manager of Lobivia did not immediately comment.

Lobivia was in the Gulf of Aden when the missiles struck two areas on its port side, the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in an incident report.

The ship was located 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's port city of Aden during the attack. All crew are reported safe and the ship was returning to its last port of call, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

"The ship was transiting northeast along the Gulf of Aden when a merchant vessel in the vicinity observed 'light and blast' where the ship was located," British security firm Ambrey said.

The ship appeared to perform evasive manoeuvres immediately and switch off her automatic identification system approximately an hour later, Ambrey said.

On Tuesday, the Houthis hit the Liberia-flagged oil tanker Chios Lion with a drone boat, causing damage to the port side that left an oily trail that experts said appeared to be fuel.

Britain and the US have conducted retaliatory strikes since February, shooting down drones and bombing attack sites in Yemen.

That has come at a significant cost, said Feierstein, who was the US Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen from 2010 to 2013 under President Barack Obama.

"We're basically spending a million dollars every time we shoot down a Radio Shack drone. That's wearing on the Navy and wearing on our supplies," he said.

 

Houthis target more vessels in retaliation

According to Reuters, Yemen's Houthis targeted three vessels, including an oil tanker, in the Red and Mediterranean seas with ballistic missiles, drones and booby-trapped boats.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the latest Houthi military operations were a response to the Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Saturday, an attack that killed at least 90 Palestinians and wounded 300 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

In dozens of attacks since November 2023, the Houthis have sunk two vessels and seized another, killed at least three sailors and upended global trade by forcing ship owners to avoid the popular Suez Canal trade shortcut.

It recently has become more effective at damaging ships largely through using unmanned, armed watercraft that damage a vessel's vulnerable waterline.

In a televised speech, Saree said the Houthis have targeted the Bentley I refined products carrier and the Chios Lion oil tanker in the Red Sea.

US Central Command late on Monday confirmed those attacks and said no damage or injuries had been reported.

The Houthis said it also joined the Iraqi Islamic Resistance in targeting the Olvia in the Mediterranean Sea. Reuters could not independently verify that attack.

Managers of the Panama-flagged Bentley I, Liberia-flagged Chios Lion and Cyprus-flagged Olvia could not be immediately reached for comment.

Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that two vessels came under attack in the Red Sea off Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, with one ship reporting it had sustained some damage.

A vessel 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah was attacked by an uncrewed drone boat that hit its port side, causing some damage and light smoke.

Another merchant vessel, 70 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, came under attack by three small watercraft, UKMTO and security firm Ambrey said separately.

The Master of that ship reported being attacked by three small craft. One of those watercraft was unmanned and twice collided with the ship as passengers on the other two boats fired on the ship. The vessel conducted "self-protection measures" and after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack, UKMTO said.

Later in what appeared to be two separate attacks, the Master reported four projectiles exploding near the vessel.

Both the vessel and crew were reported as safe and proceeding to the next port of call, Ambrey said.

Since November 2023, Houthi militants in Yemen have launched drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The group says these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians affected by Israel's war in Gaza.

US and British have conducted retaliatory strikes since February - shooting down drones and bombing attack sites in Yemen.

At least 65 countries and major energy and shipping companies have been affected by Houthi attacks, according to a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

Yemen targets US aircraft carrier

Yemen's military spokesman says the country's armed forces have targeted US aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea in response to deadly overnight attacks by the United State and its allies on the country.

“The missile force and the naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a joint military operation targeting the US aircraft carrier ‘Eisenhower’ in the Red Sea,” said Yahya Saree in a televised statement. 

“The operation was carried out with a number of winged and ballistic missiles, the hit was accurate and direct, thanks to Allah,” he added.

Saree said this was a response to aerial strikes by the US and Britain on several targets across the Arab country, which he said targeted civilians in a “blatant violation of all international laws and a full-fledged war crime." 

The US and British warplanes attacked the Yemeni capital Sana’a as well as the governorates of Hodeidah and Taiz.

Yemeni officials say the attacks on Hodeidah targeted the Radio building and the Coast Guard facility and several commercial ships, killing at least 16 people and injuring 41 others.

United States and Britain target Yemen

The United States and Britain carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, according to US Central Command.

In addition, the US unilaterally destroyed eight aerial attack drones over Yemen and the Red Sea.

The coalition strikes targeted 13 Houthi targets in parts of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed group.

This marked the fifth round of coalition strikes against the Houthis, who have repeatedly attacked US Navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The two waterways, separated by the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, are critical to international shipping routes.

The last round of strikes occurred on February 24, as the US and Britain targeted Houthi weapons and radar sites.

The US has tried to disrupt the Houthi’s ability to target commercial vessels and US warships by going after their primary weapons, including anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones. The US has also destroyed maritime drones and underwater drones. The resumption of strikes follows an uptick in Houthi attacks over the last week.

During this past week, the US destroyed Houthi missile launchers in Yemen and intercepted aerial attack drones.

On Tuesday, three Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles struck a Greek-owned and operated merchant ship in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command. There were no injuries, according to Central Command, and the M/V Lax was able to continue its voyage.

The US spearheaded Operation Prosperity Guardian in December to protect international shipping, banding together with other nations to intercept Houthi attacks.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and a number of destroyers have patrolled the waters of the region to intercept Houthi launches.

The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer that recently returned from the Middle East, had 51 engagements in six months, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week was “the most direct Navy engagement with a foe since World War II.”