Yemen: Will the “Houthis” stop? a journalist asked. 

This is how President Biden summed up the naval confrontation with Yemen in just two words. However, he didn't complete the thought that Yemen may cease its blockade of enemy ships and targeting of coalition vessels supporting Israel if the aggression and blockade on Gaza were halted.

If Yemen will not stop targeting ships connected to Israeli ports, then the U.S. must take the global demand to end the war and aggression on Gaza seriously and respond with genuine action, not deception.

The undeniable reality is that America has faced successive setbacks for decades, but today's rate of decline is faster and more pronounced.

Initially, Yemen’s challenge in pursuing Israeli ships was more serious than the U.S. protection of these vessels. But just days after Yemen announced its pursuit of enemy ships, Yemeni Armed Forces seized the Israeli vessel "Galaxy" on November 19.

When Washington and London launched an attack on Yemen in January 2024, Yemen became even more determined to target Israeli ships, along with U.S. and British commercial or military vessels.

Amidst the escalation and the American attacks on Yemeni territory, Yemen increased its attacks on enemy ships, extending its reach from the Gulf of Aden to the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and even the Mediterranean Sea, solidifying its image as a fierce and formidable adversary.

Yemen and the New Middle East Plan

Yemen’s military movements have been more mature and impactful than the American-European naval confrontations.

Yemen has successfully exposed much of America's weakness in building alliances, as well as its declining strength, effectiveness, and influence—a failure that has accumulated to an unprecedented degree since the Vietnam War. In contrast, Yemen has demonstrated exceptional savvy, skill, and efficiency in these intense naval confrontations.

While Washington was able to build proxy alliances in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Ukraine-Russia war, in Yemen, it suffered its first setback, starting with its failure to form a coalition for the war. This was followed by defeats in Yemeni waters, which deeply troubled the U.S., culminating in its inability to protect ships in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.

Amidst American talk of forming a maritime coalition called "Prosperity," they boasted that 100 countries would join them in the naval war against Yemen. But what was eventually announced was closer to an admission of failure and defeat, rather than the declaration of a coalition ready to embark on a confrontation against a nation defending its land.

Only 10 countries, mainly some Anglo-Saxon states and the island of Bahrain, joined the U.S. maritime alliance, while major countries like France, Germany, and Italy distanced themselves, as they had announced. They either preferred to pursue separate ventures from U.S. leadership within the "ASPIDES" alliance or gave reasons like protecting their ships in Yemeni territorial waters. Similarly, many Arab countries, previously prominent in aggression against Yemen, faded from the scene of this new conflict, following the principle of "caution and self-interest."

Overall, Washington and the West’s failure to form alliances similar to those of previous decades was a painful blow, signaling the waning of American influence over allied regimes in the region.

This was evident in the positions of some Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, even as hidden alliances continued. The same applied to Europe, with France refusing to work under U.S. leadership and Spain declaring it was not part of the U.S.-announced alliance after being mentioned by name.

It is certain that the seriousness and effectiveness of Yemeni Armed Forces in confronting the U.S. before the coalition was formed sent a strong, clear message: Yemen is capable of facing and challenging the U.S. with strength, targeting only those who oppose it and protecting Israeli ships. 

This is why some European countries quickly opened channels of communication with Sanaa, distancing themselves from America’s madness, even as they joined the European-led "ASPIDES" alliance. This marked the first blow to American influence and a relief for emerging global powers that stand to benefit from engaging with Yemen's rising strength. Even Europe, with its resurgent nationalist currents, views breaking away from harsh Washington dependence as a necessary step.

American Double Failure

Despite Washington's insistence on continuing to protect Israel, its second failure came with its inability to protect Israeli port vessels. The failure spread from the Red Sea to Yemen's southern and eastern waters, reaching the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.

America's failure is twofold: it failed to protect the ships of the Zionist entity and failed to protect its own commercial and military vessels, along with those of its allies.

As the initial American naval confrontations with Yemen faltered, questions lingered about why America persisted in battles destined to fail from the start. The easiest path would have been to halt the war on Gaza, avoid further complications, and offer a new narrative to address its shortcomings, discussing American failure privately without the public spectacle now unfolding.

America's defeat in Yemen is seen as a step that will embolden many nations, especially maritime states, to challenge American influence and power.

Yet, the United States’ actions are driven by pre-existing plans and visions.

Behind all this chaos lies the blueprint for creative destruction and the New Middle East, prophesied by the American national security advisor during the George W. Bush administration. This plan, known as the New Middle East, aimed to resolve the Palestinian issue and redraw the region’s map, particularly the Arab and Islamic worlds. 

The aggression on Gaza and the genocidal tactics, as the second option for Palestinians after the politically rejected forced displacement, is an integral part of this plan. This explains America’s insistence on continuing with the bloody project, as it is compelled to comply with the chaotic Jewish agenda, no matter the cost.

With America's push and Israel’s criminal actions led by the extreme Jewish right-wing, the expansion of aggression from Gaza to the West Bank signals that American policymakers see the Zionist agenda steering Washington towards a deep abyss. The hope is that this increase in bloodshed will lead to the final resolution of the Palestinian issue. 

However, America's military experience in Yemeni waters has effectively disrupted this devilish plan, despite the American-Western-Gulf media blackout. Yemen's successful targeting of America’s largest and most modern naval arsenal, sidelining aircraft carriers to the past, has exposed significant flaws in the once-dominant U.S. fleet—the first such challenge in nearly eighty years.

What happened to America also happened to Europe, as Yemeni naval and air forces demonstrated that they are living in the past. Criticism and calls to rescue Europe from disintegration and decline are rising, far from any colonial ambitions that are no longer viable.

Yemeni missiles, boats, and drones have revolutionized military naval theories long taught in Western academies for over a century. While building aircraft carriers and battleships costs billions of dollars, a Yemeni missile that costs only a few thousand can incapacitate them in seconds. This is the unexpected American-Western dilemma, which sets the stage for measuring the future outcomes of any U.S. or Western confrontations with China, Russia, North Korea, or the resistance axis.