Saudi at War with Yemen's Houthis

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright March 27, 2015
All Rights Reserved.

                 Announcing air strikes March 25 on the Iranian-backed Shiite rebel Houthis that toppled the Sunni government of Yemen President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Saudi Arabia drew a line in the sand.  Toppling Hadi Jan. 21, the Shiite Houthis, backed by Iranian arms, pounced on the opportunity to conquer Yemen, ripe for the picking since the 2011 Arab Spring, where a variety revolutionary Islamic groups toppled old authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and, the ongoing mess in Syria.  Whatever the failed state in Yemen, Saudi Arabia was not about to let the Houthis seize the country without a fight.  Getting a coalition of Sunni Gulf States to join in, Saudi’s U.N. Amb. Adel al-Jubeir made clear his government would respond, with or without U.S. help.  “We will do whatever it takes to protect the legitimate government of Yemen from failing,” said Jubeir.

             Fleeing the capital Sanaa Feb. 21 to the Port of Aden, Hadi was flown to Riyadh March 26 by Saudi’s new king Salman bin Abulaziz Al Saudi.  Unlike Ukraine, where there’s not a single country willing to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Salman decided to call Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s bluff launching air strikes against the Houthis.  Calling Salman’s actions “criminal, unjust and unjustified aggression,” Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, promised to resist Saudi air strikes, to cement Houthi control over Yemen.  With Saudi’s help, Hadi hopes to put a coalition of Gulf State including ground troops to evict the Houthis from Sanaa and other parts of Yemen.  President Barack Obama praised Yemen Sept. 12, 2014 as a model of for the war against ISIS and Al-Qaida, allowing the U.S. to launch drone strikes to keep terrorist groups, like Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, at bay.

             Backing Saudi Arabia’s air strikes and weighing into the conflict, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ripped Iran for meddling in the region.  “It is really not possible to tolerate this.  Iran has to understand,” said Erdogan, accusing Iran of supplying al-Quds Revolutionary Guards forces in Yemen, Iraq, Syria.  Erdogan urged Khamenei to withdraw Persian forces from Sunni Arab lands.  Show solidarity with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged support to Saudi Arabia in their battle against Iranian-backed Houthi forces.  Calling its response a “Storm of Resolve,” Saudi Arabia contributed 100 war planes, with 85 more from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan.  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also pledged ground troops should they be needed to push back the Houthis and reestablish Hadi’s rule.

              Negotiating a nuke deal in Geneva, Khamenei’s under more pressure to end economic sanctions, with Gulf States going against the Shiite Houthis.  Bombing the main airport in Sanaa and Dulami military base, the Houthis are now under siege, prompting Iran to back down in Yemen and show more flexibility in Geneva.   Hitting Houthis near the Yemen border with Saudi Arabia, Saudis hope to drive the rebels into retreat.  “There are no plans at this state for ground forces operations, but if the need arises, the Saudi ground forces and those of the friends and sisterly forces are ready and will repel any aggression,” said Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asseri, putting Tehran on notice that Saudi Arabia means business.  “The task of the force will be rapid military intervention to deal with security threats to Arab nations,” said Arab League Secretary Gen. Nabil Elarby, putting Tehran on notice.

             Closing ranks to save Yemen from Iran-backed Houthis, the Sunni Arab counties sent a loud message to Khamenei that he must call back the dogs.  Even Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’s done considerable business with Iran, asked Khamenei to stop backing Houthi rebels.  Iran’s Foreign Ministry called for an immediate halt to “aggression and air strikes,” showing how easy Shiite Iran finds itself on the outs.  When Tehran’s propaganda flows free freely against Israel, Shiite Iran sides with Sunni Palestinians, ganged up on by Sunni Arab states.  No Palestinians, whether from Ramallah or Gaza, dare to back Tehran when they get the lion’s share of funding from Sunni Gulf States.  “Military actions in Yemen . . . will further complicate the situation,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Marzieh Afkhum told the semi-official Iranian Fars News Agecny.

             No matter how much Secretary of State John Kerry wants his Geneva nuke deal with Iran, Saudi Arabia drew a line in the sand against Tehran’s meddling in Yemen.  With Hadi evacuated from the Port of Aden to Riyadh March 26, the Gulf States have closed ranks against Tehran.  Saudi Arabia—and other Gulf states—believes Iran has engaged in a power play in Yemen to control the narrow Gulf of Bab el-Mandeb in the Arabian Sea.  With 4 million barrels of Saudi oil passing through the narrow strait, Saudi Arabia won’t stand for Iran to control its key waterway.  “Iran will use all possible political ways to ally tension in Yemen.  Military intervention is not an option for Tehran,” said a senior Iranian official.  Before the Houthis are driven from Sanaa and Hadi’s government reinstated, Tehran will be on the outs with Saudi Arabia and a wide coalition of Sunni Arab states.

About the Author


John M. Curtis neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma


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