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Sunday, March 16, 2025 |
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The U.S. on Saturday carried out large-scale military strikes against dozens of targets in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, two senior U.S. officials said. Air and naval strikes ordered by President Trump hit radars, air defenses, and missile and drone systems in an effort to open international shipping lanes in the Red Sea that the Houthis have disrupted for months. U.S. officials said that airstrikes against the Houthis' arsenal, much of which is buried deep underground, could last for several days. Since the Hamas-led assault on Israel in October 2023, the Houthis have attacked more than 100 merchant vessels and warships in the Red Sea with hundreds of missiles, drones and speedboats loaded with explosives in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Hundreds of ships have been forced to take a lengthy detour around southern Africa. The strikes were carried out by fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, now in the northern Red Sea, as well as by Air Force attack planes and armed drones launched from bases in the region. (New York Times) See also U.S. Launches Military Strikes in Yemen - Nancy A. Youssef A Houthi Health Ministry official said at least 31 had been killed and 101 injured Saturday in U.S. strikes. Among the locations targeted were the homes of Houthi leaders residing in the capital, San'a. The strikes hit the town of Sa'dah, the Houthi's home base, and the San'a neighborhood of Jeraf, a Houthi stronghold. U.S. military officials described Saturday's strikes as the beginning of a sustained campaign targeting the group. The current wave of strikes has three goals. It targets Houthi missile launchers that were being moved toward the coast in preparation for new attacks on shipping, it targets Houthi leadership, and it sends a message to Iran that it could be next and what military capabilities could be deployed. "The Houthis were inviting retaliation. They are aligning themselves with groups like Hamas and Hizbullah," said Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "Their attacks are not a threat to one country but to global trade." (Wall Street Journal) See also Standing Up to Terrorism and Protecting International Commerce The White House said Saturday: "It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the waterways of the world. Our economic and national security have been under attack by the Houthis for too long." "Before their attacks, 25,000 merchant ships passed through the Red Sea annually....Imports of consumer goods and cars to the United States, as well as agricultural exports from...America, have been rerouted due to the Houthi attacks....Houthi attacks caused approximately 75% of U.S.- and UK-affiliated vessels to reroute around Africa....Additional fuel costs are roughly one million dollars more for each voyage around Africa....The Houthis have attacked U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023." (White House) Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked Friday: "Would the U.S. be open to an agreement with Hamas to get American hostages released separate from the Israeli hostages? Rubio: "We want all the hostages released. We believe they should all be released, okay? And...we're also talking about bodies. And these trades are being made, and they're ridiculous trades. Come on. Four hundred people for three. These are nuts. And on top of that, you see the condition these people are being released in." "Think about what we're talking about here. I mean, we're sitting around as the world is sort of accepting that it's normal and okay for you to go into a place, kidnap babies, kidnap teenagers, kidnap people that have nothing to do with any wars, that are not soldiers, that are not anything, and taking them and putting them in tunnels for almost a year and a half. And we're acting like this is a normal exchange, this is a normal thing that happens. This is an outrage. So, they should all be released." "What Hamas has done is outrageous. It's ridiculous. It's sick. It's disgusting. It should never have happened, and we shouldn't accept it as normal, as a normal negotiation. We're just dealing with some savages. That's it. These are bad people, terrible people, and we need to treat them as such." (U.S. State Department) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said on Friday that Hamas is presenting "unrealistic" demands behind the scenes in hostage-release negotiations. "Hamas is making a very poor gamble by believing that time is on its side. That is not the case. Hamas is well aware of the deadline and must understand that we will respond accordingly if it passes," he warned. "According to the mediation proposal, Hamas will release live hostages in exchange for prisoners based on previous formulas. The first stage of the ceasefire will be extended to allow for the resumption of significant humanitarian aid, and the U.S. will work to achieve a stable solution to the ongoing conflict during the extended ceasefire period." "Through our Qatari and Egyptian partners, it was made unequivocally clear to Hamas that the mediation must be implemented quickly - and that the American-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander must be released immediately. Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly declaring flexibility while secretly presenting demands that are completely impossible without a permanent ceasefire." (Ynet News) IDF sources expect the Israeli government to authorize military operations in Gaza if no last-minute breakthrough occurs in the hostage deal. The military has expanded the bank of potential Hamas targets across Gaza. "This target bank will enable the government to escalate operations in stages to apply pressure on Hamas leadership if negotiations for a hostage release stall," the sources said. At this stage, airstrikes against targets in Gaza have intensified, alongside increased fire at Palestinians sent to confront IDF soldiers in buffer zones. (Jerusalem Post) The IDF said Saturday that its forces targeted two terrorists operating a drone that "posed a threat to troops" in northern Gaza. The military later struck additional terrorists who had retrieved the drone's operating equipment. Palestinians in Gaza claimed that at least nine people were killed in the strikes. Earlier in the day, the IDF said its forces opened fire on three terrorists near Netzarim in central Gaza who were seen approaching troops and planting explosive devices. (Ynet News) The Israeli Air Force struck a Palestinian Islamic Jihad command center in Damascus on Thursday, targeting members of the group who were planning attacks against Israeli forces along the northern border. (Ynet News) Two Hizbullah operatives directing terrorist operations in southern Lebanon were eliminated in a drone strike on their vehicle on Saturday morning, the IDF said. (Jerusalem Post) A missile fired by the Houthis in Yemen fell in the city of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Israel's Army Radio reported Sunday. (Jerusalem Post) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
U.S. Attacks on Houthis in Yemen The goal of the U.S. air attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen that began on Saturday night is to punish the Houthis for directly targeting Western naval vessels in the Red Sea while also exerting indirect pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program. The strikes also aim to weaken Iran's ability to operate its regional proxies. The Biden administration did conduct airstrikes against the Houthis, but it refrained from a proactive military campaign, fearing a wider regional war. However, following the collapse of Iran's axis - including Hizbullah's heavy losses in Lebanon and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria - the Trump administration appears unafraid of such an escalation. Acting on Israel's advice and in coordination with Saudi Arabia and Egypt - whose economy is suffering from the near paralysis of the Suez Canal due to Houthi attacks - the U.S. is now taking direct and aggressive action to degrade the Houthis' ability to disrupt shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. (Ynet News) See also U.S. Strikes on the Houthis Are a Test - Seth J. Frantzman During the last 17 months, the Houthis felt they could attack shipping and attack Israel. In December 2023, the U.S. stepped in with several allies to begin Operation Prosperity Guardian and helped some ships, but at the end of the day, the Houthis still attacked at a time and place of their choosing. Iran will be watching. The Iranian Supreme Leader has rejected Trump's openness to a new deal. Now they see that Washington is serious. (Jerusalem Post) The Gaza War The idea that the very existence of Israel is illegal and immoral has been ingrained in Hamas's worldview since its founding. In May 2021, Hamas came to believe that the destruction of Israel had become a goal that could actually be achieved, according to Hamas documents taken from Gaza during the war. The severe blow suffered by Hamas pushes back the plan to destroy Israel, but if Hamas recovers and receives support from Iran, the movement could once again regard destroying Israel as a practical plan. In the television series "The Fist of the Free," produced by Hamas for Ramadan in April 2022, an invasion of Israel was depicted in a manner similar to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The character resembling Hamas military leader Muhammad al-Deif stated: "The balance of power has shifted. Today, we will invade them and not the other way around." It will be "a decisive moment in history, a day the enemy will never forget until they are annihilated." Saleh al-'Arouri, deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, stated in interviews in August 2023: "A full-scale war has become inevitable. We all recognize its necessity. We want it, the resistance axis, the Palestinians, our nation, we all want it. This is not just something we say in the media. We discuss it behind closed doors....We are convinced we are capable of it." (Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center) The Druze in Syria A delegation of over 150 Druze clerics and dignitaries visited holy sites in Israel on Friday and Saturday, marking the first time since 1974 that such a delegation crossed the border. Their visit included Nebi Shu'ayb (the Tomb of Jethro) near Karnei Hittim in the Galilee, as well as warm reception ceremonies with their Israeli brethren. Druze Member of Knesset Hamed Amar described the visit: "It was a warm welcome. The Druze are all connected everywhere they are, like one big family. Many of those who crossed the border have immediate families on the Israeli side. They were welcomed warmly and lovingly; it was a very moving meeting." Amar recalled that the demilitarization agreement with Syria following the Yom Kippur War had halted such visits, separating families on both sides of the border. "This was first and foremost a religious, social, and communal visit, nothing to do with politics," Amar stressed. "We just renewed a measure that existed in the past, as the holiest place for the Druze is located near Tiberias." "It was like a holiday for us. We haven't met them for so long, and some of us have never even met them at all," adding that he did not experience any suspicion despite the long years. "Just as Jews see themselves committed to all Jews around the globe - so are us Druze committed to our brethren." Amar is not optimistic about the current regime in Syria. "The ones who seized power in Syria are ISIS, nothing less," he stressed. "Whitewashing this is wrong and misleading; they are an extremist ISIS regime. I hope and believe that the Druze will know how to protect and defend themselves from them, and if necessary, Israel should lend a hand." "We must not tolerate an Oct. 7-like situation nor allow ISIS to settle on our borders. This is an issue of national security for Israel, and it must not be allowed." (Jerusalem Post) In an operation conducted over the past few weeks, Israel has delivered 10,000 food packages of humanitarian aid to the Druze community in the battle areas of Syria in coordination with the head of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Muafik Tarif, the Israel Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Most of the packages were delivered to Suwayda, while some were delivered to Druze communities near the border. Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar said: "We have a bold alliance with our Druze brothers. It is a privilege to help them." (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Iran Tehran is increasingly concerned that mounting public anger over economic hardships could erupt into mass protests, four Iranian officials said. Tehran's concerns were exacerbated by President Trump's speedy revival of his first term's "maximum pressure" campaign to drive Iran's oil exports towards zero with more sanctions and bring the country's already fragile economy to its knees, they said. Iran has staved off economic collapse largely thanks to China, the main buyer of its oil and one of the few nations still trading with Tehran despite sanctions. Iranian oil exports have recovered in the past few years, bringing in more than $50 billion in revenue in both 2022 and 2023 as Iran found ways to skirt sanctions, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Now Trump's maximum pressure policy aims to throttle Iran's crude sales with multiple rounds of sanctions on tankers and entities involved in the trade. Iran's rulers are also facing energy and water shortages, a collapsing currency, military setbacks among regional allies, and growing fears of an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities. The Iranian rial has shed more than 90% of its value against the dollar since 2018. Some Iranian experts say inflation is over 50%. Based on Iranian state media reports, there were at least 216 demonstrations across Iran in February focusing on economic hardships, involving retirees, workers, healthcare professionals, students and merchants. (Reuters) For more than four decades, Western politicians have extended diplomatic overtures, economic incentives and concessions to Tehran in the hope that engagement could moderate its policies. Yet, every attempt at diplomacy has failed. Like it or not, the nature of the Iranian regime is inseparable from its ideological foundations. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not a normal state, or even a conventional dictatorship. It is an ideological entity that derives its very identity from opposition to the U.S., Israel and the West. These are not just foreign policy stances but central tenets of the regime's existence. The regime refers to the U.S. as the "Great Satan" and Israel as the "Little Satan," righteously positioning itself as the force of divine justice against these supposed embodiments of evil. For the Iranian mullahs, hostility toward America and Israel is the fundamental pillar of their legitimacy. If the regime were to abandon its enmity toward the U.S. and Israel, it would lose the entire justification upon which it has built its power. In pursuit of a nuclear deal, the Obama administration lifted sanctions, provided billions of dollars in sanctions relief, and even delivered pallets of cash to the ruling mullahs. The result? The Iranian regime did not just fail to moderate its behavior, it escalated its hostility, using the funds it received from the U.S. to do it. One of the greatest illusions in Western diplomacy is the belief that Iran can be persuaded to abandon its nuclear program through negotiations. The Islamic Republic views nuclear weapons as the ultimate guarantor of its survival. The regime will agree to talks only when it needs to buy time. If the West wants to truly confront the threat posed by the Iranian regime, it must stop pursuing fruitless negotiations and instead adopt a strategy of strength. (Gatestone Institute) Israel in the International Media When Wikipedia was launched in 2001, it was heralded as neutral territory - a techno-utopia that allowed the public to participate in the process of knowledge production. But this vision was swiftly punctured by reality. The site has become a hotbed of antisemitism, as anti-Israel editors flocked to the platform. After Oct. 7, a series of articles were rewritten in a tone that demonized Israel. Israel has been vilified and targeted disproportionately, with entries such as "Comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany," article titles changed from "massacre" to "attack," and Hamas's acts of terrorism sanitized. Thousands of articles have been re-edited to demonize and destabilize Israel's right to exist. Al Jazeera was deemed as a reliable source but Fox News and the Anti-Defamation League were not. The writer is a researcher at the University of Haifa. (Jewish Chronicle-UK) Observations: The Arab League's Summit of Illusions - Dalia Ziada (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
The author is an award-winning Egyptian writer and Senior Fellow for Research and Diplomacy at the Jerusalem Center. |
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