Houthis Face New Threat as UAE Seeks Military Action

Picture: Collected from bdpratidin

The United Arab Emirates has proposed a ground offensive against Houthi rebels in Yemen, aiming to take advantage of recent United States airstrikes that have weakened their strongholds. The proposal has been presented to the United States, as regional forces plan to reclaim strategic areas currently under Houthi control.

Since mid-March, the United States has carried out intense bombing operations on Houthi-controlled territories, including Sana'a, Hodeidah port, and Saada. Despite this, the extent to which the Houthis' combat capacity has weakened remains unclear.

The Houthi movement, which has held significant portions of Yemen since 2014, has endured multiple air and ground operations from international forces such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE but has consistently resisted removal efforts.

Yemeni officials state that their primary objective is to seize control of Hodeidah port, a key financial resource for the Houthis. Losing the port would greatly impact their funding and disrupt their weapon supply chain from Iran. Additionally, the coastal regions used by the Houthis to launch attacks on United States and Israeli commercial vessels in the Red Sea are also key targets in the planned offensive.

Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Middle East Eye suggest that U.S. private military groups are advising Yemeni fighters on the operation. While U.S. officials have expressed support for the possible ground attack, they stress that the U.S. is not leading the effort.

Senior Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi has dismissed the airstrikes, asserting that they have not weakened their forces. He also stated that any ground offensive would ultimately fail, maintaining the Houthis’ track record of resisting international intervention.

As tensions continue to rise, the next few weeks could prove decisive in Yemen’s ongoing conflict, with regional and international stakeholders vying for control over crucial territories.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal, Middle East Eye)