American Suicide
The war in West Asia is heating up.
Iran has launched fresh strikes on the Gulf States, destroying American missile launchers and their radars. As usual, the Gulf States claim to be shooting down missiles but it is hard to hide billowing smoke and flames.
Iran is also for the first time striking super tankers trying to take the “American route” out of Hormuz , not with warning shots, but with missiles.
Today, however, much attention was given to Yemen.
To understand what is happening there you have to keep in mind that Yemen is a divided country.
While the Houthis only hold about 30% to 33% of Yemen’s total landmass, their territory includes the highly urbanized northwestern highlands, the capital city of Sana’a, and major urban centers like Ibb and Dhamar. As a result, they rule over an estimated 70% to 80% of the country’s population.
By contrast, the unpopular “internationally recognized government” as Western media call it, and its aligned factions control the vast southern and eastern desert regions (such as Hadramawt). It is not a government at all.
That so-called Yemeni “government”, however, is supported by the USA, KSA and Israel.
Yesterday Yemeni government forces, more correctly the Saudi Air Force, since Yemen does not have an airforce all its own, bombed the runway at the Houthi-controlled Sanaa Airport just as a commercial Iranian Mahan Air flight was approaching for a landing. The aircraft was carrying a Houthi group returning from Tehran, where they had attended the funeral service for the Supreme Leader. The Yemeni government claimed the Houthis had blocked domestic Yemeni national airlines from using the airport while selectively allowing the unauthorized Iranian flight to enter.
In fact, the Houthis had not “blocked” national airlines from doing anything.
The Houthis chose the Iranian flight operated by Mahan Air, actively rejecting the Yemeni “government” advisement to return the delegation on standard or neutral aircraft
The Yemeni “Defense Ministry” of the Israeli/ KSA “internationally recognized Yemen Government” claimed it had “asserted sovereignty“ and requested the Saudi strike directly on the runway to physically prevent the plane from touching down. and ”.
The Mahan Air flight was diverted and successfully landed at Al Hudaydah Airport, a Red Sea port city also controlled by the Houthis.
Last week Saudi Arabia told the U.S. it was concerned about the situation and asked for support for possible strikes against the Houthis.On Thursday, the Saudi ambassador to Washington met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A day later Rubio spoke to Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Shortly after on Friday, President Trump spoke by phone with the Saudi crown prince, MBS, per a U.S. official. MBS asked Trump for his backing for a military action against the Houthis and received it, the official said.
The Yemeni “Government”=Riyadh=US.
The Houthis must also have been suspicious as many others were, that this strike was on American orders as a “warning” to the Houthis.
The Houthis had to respond to an attack on a civilian airliner full of civilians trying to land at a civilian airport — so they fired missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in the capital of Saudi Arabia’s Asir province, bordering Yemen. As is now becoming routine in GCC countries when attacked by missiles and drones, the Saudis claimed to have shot the entire volley down. It didn’t really matter if they did or not — since the attack was a demonstration, a precursor to more serious retaliation.
Following this, the Houthis warned all international airlines to avoid flying through Saudi airspace until the “siege” and blockade on Sanaa International Airport are lifted.
The Houthis warned that if things escalate, they will close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in concert with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz
They demanded that the United Nations and the Saudi-led coalition lift all restrictions and “sieges” on Yemeni ports and airports otherwise Yemen (the real Yemen) will use drone and missile attacks to blockade on Saudi shipping and international traffic.
This would cause oil prices to skyrocket. Some analysts suggest prices of $150 or $200 a barrel. As it is, oil prices are rising on account of Hormuz only, and despite Trump’s clumsy efforts to moderate them.
The UN Security Council agreed on de-escalation of course. But not much else. cil members strongly agreed on the absolute necessity of immediate de-escalation to avoid a full-scale regional war, they split sharply on assigning blame for the incident.
The Western and Gulf Bloc (United States, United Kingdom, Bahrain, and Allies) condemned Iran and the Houthis. The US accused Iran of violating an arms embargo, that it had pushed through a decade ago, claiming flights were used as a cover to ferry IRGC personnel and weapons specialists into Yemen. They rallied behind Saudi Arabia, denouncing the Houthi drone and missile counter-attacks and threats to choke off the Bab al-Mandeb Strait but there was not agreement.
Moscow argued that the Iranian flight to Sanaa had a “strictly humanitarian” purpose and defended the preservation of Sanaa Airport’s operations for logistical support
China refused to explicitly condemn the Iranian flight. , warning that a collapse of the current U.S.–Iran ceasefire arrangements would plunge the Middle East into an unmanageable crisis, and urging all sides to avoid “unilateral measures”—, knowing of course that wasn’t going to happen.
What this all means?
Of course, given the context, it is likely the US will pressure the Saudis to continue actions against the Houthis, and strengthen their support for the US in its war against Iran. There is no indication so far that the KSA, or any of the Gulf States will refuse —so the Bab el Mandeb will be closed. It is sheer stupidity.
The economic noose will tighten. ‘
Elijah J. Magnier thinks this is a “blessing in disguise”.
Blessing in disguise
It was a blessing in disguise to see Saudi Arabia bomb Sanaa airport, because Riyadh may have done what the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz could not: invite a powerful Yemeni reaction and widen the war beyond the narrow US-Iran exchange in the Gulf.
By striking Yemen, Saudi Arabia has opened the door to a broader theatre, one that can hit the world economy far harder, threaten maritime routes beyond Hormuz, and force global powers to confront the real cost of Trump’s escalation.
What Washington wanted was a contained confrontation: pressure Iran, keep Hormuz open, lower oil prices, and avoid a full regional war. But Yemen’s entry changes the equation. If the response is strong enough, the crisis will no longer be manageable through military hits and presidential bravado.
That is where the blessing lies: not in destruction, but in the possibility that the war expands just enough to become intolerable for the world economy, forcing other powers to intervene and tell Trump what he refuses to hear: enough.
I think Magnier is a little optimistic.
The US thinks it is THE Power, the One and Only, the Chosen of God. What other “powers” are there? The US won’t listen to Russia and China. They would risk nuclear war to intervene.
A better maneuver is to let the US persist in its madness and destroy itself.
In the end it will also destroy Israel which needs the US economic umbilical to survive. NATO is already in the process of destroying Europe. National suicide is an emerging trend.
American War Criminals: Brian Berletic says it best !
US Senator Lindsay Graham worked for the largest corporations in the US, not the American people. He made them literally trillions and they kept him in office literally until his last day on Earth.
When pulling a weed, 10 more will take its place.
Nothing will change just like after John McCain died. People don't even remember McCain even existed, that's how meaningless his death was in terms of "changing" anything for the better.
Don't celebrate - that's as bad as he was and also because literally nothing will change anyway.
Start rethinking why you have so many weeds in the first place and what can actually be done to change this much bigger overall problem if none of these individual people are the source of the problem.
Start thinking about the system itself producing these people and the policies they push...
Once upon a time.
Today, beside me in bed. He likes cuddles and kisses.
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Trump is the best thing that ever happened for us in the Global South. Most of our countries are under the rule of the IMF and the World Bank; we get poorer while the ruling elites in America and Europe get richer and more powerful. As long as Trump exposes America as the tyrant of the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and even Europe, continues to waste blood and treasure to maintain its rule then the weaker it will eventually become. There are no guarantees in life but this weakening will provide us with more chances to become free from bondage.
Nice article!!
I for one am hoping that Elijah got it right, the slow simmering boil to the end of the status quo needs to be over with. May the blessing be granted!!
Elijah J. Magnier thinks this is a “blessing in disguise”.