Yemen: Arabic and international media outlets have extensively covered the announcement by the Yemeni armed forces regarding the beginning of the fourth round of escalation with great interest.

Last Thursday, the leader of the revolution, Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi affirmed in a speech that Yemen is preparing for the fourth round of escalation if the US-Israeli obstinacy continues in the Gaza Strip. The details of this preparation were then confirmed by Brigadier General Yahya Saree in a statement delivered before a massive pro-Palestine crowd in Seventy Square in the capital, Sana'a.

The fourth phase of escalation includes targeting ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea until the aggression stops and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted. This announcement represents a strategic shift in the Yemeni confrontation with its enemies, primarily the United States of America.

Yemen as a Regional Power:

Lebanese military analyst Brigadier Omar Maarabouni confirmed that this announcement carries significant implications and importance. It confirms that targeting ships associated with "Israel" in the Mediterranean Sea indicates a significant development in Yemeni combat capabilities, which can now reach distances exceeding 2000 kilometers.

He explained in his interview with "Almasirah" channel that Yemen's jihadist and humanitarian stance with Gaza will assert itself on the international and regional levels. Facts and events have proven that Yemen has a strong presence in shaping geopolitical maps. Yemen has a regional and global geopolitical dimension.

On the other hand, Palestinian political and strategic researcher Said Ziyad said, "The fourth stage of escalation" announced by the Yemeni armed forces is divided into two main sections: the first has entered into effect, which is targeting all ships heading to "Israel" in the Mediterranean Sea, imposing a complete blockade on "Israel" and ships heading towards it. The second part of the stage is related to the Rafah operation, which threatens "Israel".

Ziyad emphasized that Yemenis provide the Palestinian resistance in Gaza with a very strong card and significant pressure. The resistance aims to ignite more fronts to isolate the Israeli enemy and create a new regional reality. It has succeeded in breaking Israel's dominance on land and sea and narrating it internationally.

Political Science Professor at Al-Najah National University, Dr. Hassan Ayyoub, confirmed that announcing the fourth escalatory phase doubles the risks of conflict expansion.

He said, "The United States is unable to contain the dangerous escalation. The coalition formed by the 'Guardian of Prosperity' could not confront the Yemeni forces," expecting the United States to exert more pressure on "Israel" regarding negotiations with the resistance and to prevent the military operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The expert military and strategic Brigadier Elias Hanna asserted that the fourth phase of escalation signifies a shift from the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea to the Indian Ocean and Eilat, and today to the Mediterranean Sea. Through the Mediterranean Sea, "Israel" opens up to the world by 90%, indicating that American hegemony over the world is through the Mediterranean, the Sixth Fleet, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean.

Regarding the Yemeni armed forces' ability to execute their threats, Brigadier Elias said, "The Mediterranean Sea holds oil and gas wealth for 'Israel'. If a shell or drone falls near one ship, it would be a threat to maritime navigation and Israeli national security. Insurance companies will also raise their premiums."

He pointed out that the message from announcing the fourth round of escalation indicates that regional issues are interconnected, and what Washington has done in recent years, destroying countries like Yemen and Iraq, has resulted in armed and revolutionary groups that cannot be controlled.

Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Haifa, Mahmoud Yazbek, said: If ships heading to Haifa are targeted and cargo shipments there are halted, it will create a major problem for "Israel."

He added in an interview with the "Evening" program on Al Mayadeen channel that the Yemeni escalation means that "Israel" bears responsibility for any operation in Rafah and the response to it.

On the other hand, political and military affairs expert Amir Al-Saadi confirmed in his conversation on the "Discussion" program that the Yemeni front is the most capable of influencing Western decision-makers, explaining that Yemen has proven its capabilities to reach any target in the occupied territories or in the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and others.

Meanwhile, international and strategic affairs analyst Mondher Suleiman asserted that Yemen's decision to enter the fourth phase indicates that the tactics adopted by the Yemeni Armed Forces have succeeded so far.

The echo of the fourth round of military escalation against the Zionist entity was not limited to Gaza, but it dominated social media and electronic media, especially the "X". Palestinian political activist Mohammed Al-Najjar tweeted: "The evidence of Ansarullah's announcement of entering the fourth stage of confronting the Israeli aggression on Gaza lies in the following:

First: The announcement comes at an important and sensitive time of negotiation to bolster the Palestinian negotiating front against the Israeli enemy.

Second: This announcement indicates high coordination between Ansarullah and the Palestinian resistance, especially the Al-Qassam Brigades."

He added, "The arrangement of stages, scheduling of steps, and expanding the scope of operations are not random, noting that the announcement is a direct response to Israeli threats to invade Rafah, a step that raises the cost of any Israeli recklessness and folly in the region as a whole."

Al-Najjar considers the announcement of the fourth phase as a pressure tactic on the Americans to rein in the recklessness of Netanyahu and Gantz, indicating that "Ansarullah" embodies their commitment to Palestine despite all the threats and the US-British aggression.

He added, "Continued escalation on their part, reaching the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, is a significant expansion of the scope of fire," stressing that targeting any Israeli ship or one heading to occupied ports in the Mediterranean Sea serves as a warning and a clear signal to European countries supporting the entity about the consequences of open war.