Yemen: The war in Yemen, in its various forms, did not subside during the de-escalation phase. The recent measures taken by the countries of aggression do not show a desire for peace, as they are war measures and nothing else.

Peace threats

In the past few days, and as part of the UAE-Saudi military influence struggle over Bab al-Mandab, Riyadh pushed its loyal factions to the directorates of Mudharaba and Ras al-Ara, which overlook Bab al-Mandab, in order to expel the UAE factions from there and impose a new military reality. 

While Abu Dhabi moved its loyal factions, led by Tariq Afash, to the Tur Al-Baha region, located in the south of Lahj governorate and the entry gate to Aden, in an effort to control the coasts of Ras al-Ara and Mudharaba, all the way to Ras Imran near Aden, and to be an Emirati buffer against the Saudi-backed factions.

In parallel, a week ago, a US military plane carrying a number of US Marines and intelligence officers landed, accompanied by US Ambassador Stephen Fagin, as a kind of diplomatic cover for US military intelligence action. The governor of Lahj, Sheikh Ahmed Juraib, revealed that during that visit, the Americans moved listening devices to the presidential palace, in conjunction with their movement of military units towards the Yemeni coast.

They offer false promises that were not fulfilled. Nothing had been achieved on the humanitarian aspect, with the exception of a minor breach in the Safer tanker issue, and the entry of a limited number of ships and commercial flights to Sana’a airport, in a manner that does not provide the humanitarian need in Yemen, which has been besieged and destroyed for nine years.

He added that the continued procrastination of Saudi-led aggression forces Sana'a to "go towards other options," referring to the activation of painful military equations.

It seems that the field of military options this time will be in the Yemeni territorial waters, not only in the Red Sea, but also may extend to the vital depth of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, and the radius of operations may include the islands of Socotra, Mayon, and others.

This is what President Mahdi Al-Mashat alluded to, during his visit to Al-Mahweet Governorate, late last month, by saying that Sana’a intends, during the next stage, to “conduct tests in some Yemeni islands, God willing. We can in order to deter aggression." 

This threat was followed by a similar threat by the Minister of Defense, Major General Muhammad Al-Atifi, stating that the cost of the foreign presence in Yemeni territorial waters will be "exorbitant", and "we will meet challenge with challenge, escalation with escalation, occupation with resistance, maneuvers with practical application, and peace with peace." 

The military option is not excluded if the state of intransigence continues in the humanitarian issue, and if the foreign military and intelligence mobilization and influx into Yemen continues.

These matters would destroy the remaining opportunities for peace, and push matters towards a new and harsh round of military war, which would be very costly economically for the countries of aggression, including Britain, the US and France, until Yemenis restore their lives naturally and through real and lasting peace. This requires ending all forms of aggressive war, withdrawing all foreign forces, dealing with war issues.

Written by Ali Dhafer translated by Almasirah