Cairo: Despite an anticipated Iranian condemnation of the Saudi-led military intervention against Al Houthis in Yemen, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz responded to an appeal made by President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi for urgent assistance. At least ten additional countries acknowledged the call too, including the United States, which provided logistical and intelligence assistance.
Uncompromising and unwilling to accept the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) peace proposals for at least two months, Al Houthi forces launched repeated assaults on several Yemeni cities, from Taiz to Al Houta, inching closer to Aden where Hadi found refuge.
Ironically, Tehran perceived the Saudi assistance as a “dangerous step ...that violated international responsibilities and national sovereignty,” oblivious to its own military and financial assistance to Al Houthi rebels who organized a coup d’état, placed the legitimate head of state and most members of the latter’s government under house arrest, and discouraged sorely needed dialogue among warring factions. These latest military actions, according to an Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, would “further complicate the situation, spread the crisis and remove opportunities for a peaceful resolution of Yemen’s internal differences.” Calling for an immediate halt to the air strikes, she clarified that “this aggression will have no result except to spread terrorism and extremism, and increase insecurity throughout the region.”
Notwithstanding the Iranian bravura that overlooked its direct aid to Al Houthis, Saudi Arabia and the US were not the only countries that heeded President Hadi’s calls. Egypt confirmed its participation as did four other GCC States--Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE--all of which planned to commit air and land forces as necessary. Morocco, Sudan, Pakistan and Jordan were engaged as well, with a Jordanian official underscoring that Amman intended to “support Yemen’s legitimacy, stability, and security.”
In addition to the 100 Saudi warplanes deployed from the large King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushayt near Abha close to the Yemen border, the UAE was apparently sending 30 bombers, along with 15 fighters each from Bahrain and Kuwait, 10 from Qatar, 6 each from Jordan and Morocco and 3 from Sudan. The only Gulf state that remained uncommitted was Oman.
Although details were murky less than 24 hours after the start of operations, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) launched a series of air strikes on Wednesday night after it became clear that Aden was about to fall to Houthi rebels. US satellite data confirmed a buildup around the country’s temporary capital, especially after Houthi troops gained control of the airport. RSAF planes targeted a military base near Sana’a, from where Yemeni jets were earlier launched to attack Hadi’s headquarters in Aden. At least 13 civilians died, according to a Ministry of Defense source, although it was unclear whether Yemeni Special Forces units loyal to Al Houthis that were camped nearby were also targeted.
In Washington, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel Bin Ahmad Al Jubeir issued a carefully written statement that highlighted the reasons why Riyadh intervened. He identified the Houthis as a “violent extremist militia,” and stressed that a collation of ten countries, the G10, were committed to prevent a potential takeover of the country. The intervention, the first to occur in the new reign of King Salman, tested the new Minister of Defense, Mohammad Bin Salman, though it it also illustrated Riyadh’s will-to-power.
