US, allies mull striking Yemen; UAE, Saudis divided over support
The United States and its Western allies are reportedly mulling over military strikes against Yemen, after the Arab nation’s armed forces struck merchant vessels owned by Israel or bound for the occupied territories in support of Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
American-based Bloomberg television news network, citing four people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified, reported on Wednesday that planning is underway for actions intended to cripple the Yemeni military’s ability to target commercial ships by hitting the forces at the source.
The report comes only two days after Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Seychelles and the United Kingdom would be among the countries joining the 10-nation alliance in the Red Sea.
Austin added that the coalition also included the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
However, Spain’s Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that the country “depends on the decisions of the European Union and NATO and, therefore, will not participate unilaterally.”
Deep division
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two of the United States’ closest allies in the Persian Gulf region, are deeply divided over the American military plan.
The UAE is pushing for military action against Yemen’s Ansarullah and wants the US to re-designate them as “terrorists”.
However, Riyadh supports a more measured approach, fearing that any military action could derail a fragile truce after its years-long war on Yemen.
The two have announced they will not take part in the maritime coalition.
Late on Monday, the Yemeni defense minister denounced the formation of the coalition, warning that any assault on Yemeni soil would have dire consequences.
“We are in possession of munitions and military gear that can sink your warships, submarines and aircraft carriers,” Major General Mohammad al-Atifi said.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces will turn the Red Sea into a graveyard of the US-led coalition, if the alliance decides to take any action against Yemen,” he warned.
The Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7.
The Yemeni forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories after the regime launched the war on Gaza.
Major international shipping companies have changed the course of their vessels in the region after the Yemenis said earlier this month that any ship bound for the Israeli-occupied territories will be a legitimate target until the Israeli regime completely halts its aggression against Gaza.
