1 US attacks Yemen, again
2 US defeated & a cease fire follows
3 US losses
4 US still pressures Yemen
5 Israel attacks & Yemen imposes aerial blockade of Israel
6 UAE/Saudi rivalries in Yemen
7 A Russian take on Yemen
Yemen
1 US Attacks Yemen, again
On March 14, Malik al Houthis warned Israel “to respect the ceasefire and to start aid flowing into Gaza, or else – – – “This was quickly followed by the launch of US-led aggression on Yemen after the expiry of the 4-day deadline set by the Yemeni leader al-Houthi for mediators to urge “Israel” to reinstate the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In a speech marking Eid al-Fitr(31 March) Yemen expressed sorrow that Yemenis were celebrating the holiday while their brothers in Gaza were being massacred. He praised Yemen’s stance, highlighting military operations and the blockade of Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. So it was on March 15th, US airstrikes began on Sanaa anew, while the USS Harry S. Truman-led carrier force thrust stridently into the Red Sea. US officials have talked a big game about the fresh assault continuing “indefinitely”, and Trump that Ansar Allah is “decimated”. Trump announced the launch of military strikes against Yemen’s Ansar Allah in response to the warning that if they did not cease targeting Israeli and Israeli-affiliated commercial vessels along with US warships operating in the region, “hell will rain down upon you.” Since mid-March, marking what al-Houthi described as “the second wave of US escalation against Yemen,” American air and naval assaults have exceeded 1,800 strikes. The Houthi leader emphasized that US aggression on Yemen deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, which he called “evidence of American and Israeli failure to confront Yemen’s military capabilities. “He added that the US failure to support the Israeli occupation “forced Israel to directly engage in aggression against Yemen.”
The primary goal of the US and “Israel” is to eliminate Yemen’s military operations, yet their failure to achieve this objective has led them to target civilian sites in an attempt to harm the Yemeni people, break their will, and weaken their support for these operations. US warplanes have been launching deadly attacks against Yemen every day since 15 March, when Trump intensified the campaign that was started by the former administration last year. The bombing campaign comes in response to Yemen’s reimposition of a ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea and elsewhere, as well as its renewal of drone and missile attacks on Israel after Tel Aviv restarted the war on Gaza last month. The YAF say they engaged with US aircraft carrier Truman 3 times within 24 hrs. The confrontations involved missile strikes, drone attacks, and naval operations targeting US warships. The confrontations involved missile strikes, drone attacks, and naval operations targeting hostile warships. These actions were carried out using cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other naval assets
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced a series of high-profile military operations including the launch of a Zulfiqar ballistic missile targeting the vicinity of the Israeli Ben Gurion Airport and coordinated strikes on two US aircraft carriers in the Arabian Sea. The spokesperson confirmed a dual operation targeting the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson along with their respective fleets. This marks the first time that the USS Carl Vinson has been targeted since its deployment to the region. “The American aircraft carriers that recently arrived in the region failed to achieve what the previous four aircraft carriers did,” the statement said. “After engaging with our armed forces, US aircraft carrier retreated as far as 1,300 km north of the Red Sea; we are confronting US aggression by targeting its aircraft carrier, warships, and naval vessels, with greater escalation options if it persists. If the situation and responsibility require us to take a bigger step or bigger action, we will not hesitate, and we are ready for this option,” Houthi said during a televised speech. The Ras Isa oil port in northwest Hodeida was severely damaged after a series of United States airstrikes, marking one of the most severe escalations in the American military campaign against Yemen in recent weeks.
Yemeni Armed Forces announced on 18 April that it targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a Zulfiqar ballistic missile, along with attacks on both the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Carl Vinson in the Red Sea; just hours after US strikes killed at least 74 Yemenis in Hodeida Governorate. In response, the YAF said it targeted the USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, adding that it forced the aircraft carrier to retreat northward. It also said it targeted a “vital” Israeli site in the city of Ashkelon. Yemen has repeatedly targeted US aircraft carriers in response to Washington’s campaign, which has cost more than $2 billion and has depleted weapons stocks, while failing to significantly impact the YAF and the Houthis. “The missile force, the unmanned air force, and the naval forces carried out a dual military operation targeting the US aircraft carriers Truman and Vinson, as well as their affiliated warships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, with a number of cruise missiles and drones, our air defenses successfully shot down an American MQ-9 drone while carrying out hostile actions in the airspace of Sanaa Governorate, using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile,” Saree added, highlighting that this is the fifth advanced US drone to be downed by the YAF in three weeks and the 20th in total since Washington launched its illegal war on Yemen. The YAF launched 78 missile and drone attacks against Israel and the USS Truman.
Despite the intensity of the US attacks, the war that started in January 2024 has not managed to deter Yemeni operations in support of Palestine, and has instead raised among the Pentagon brass that Washington is hurting its readiness for a long-sought conflict against China. US readiness in the Pacific is being hurt by the Pentagon’s deployment of warships and aircraft … The American ships and aircraft, as well as the service members working on them, are being pushed at what the military calls a high operating tempo. Even basic equipment maintenance becomes an issue under those grinding conditions.
Yemeni Armed Forces defy US air superiority amid mounting drone losses- Around 25 MQ-9 drones shot down. The US military has yet to secure air superiority over the Armed Forces (YAF) in Yemen, despite ongoing airstrikes. The YAF continue to successfully severely hampering US operations. Since March 3, limiting US capacity to conduct surveillance, battlefield assessments, and target key rebel leaders. Officials noted that the Yemeni Armed Forces are becoming increasingly skilled at targeting these drones, further complicating US operations. The Pentagon aimed to degrade the Armed Forces’ air defenses within 30 days and move into a second phase focused on intelligence and targeting senior leaders. However, consistent drone losses have stalled these efforts. Moreover, US officials confirmed that the YAF are becoming disrupting US intelligence, reconnaissance, and damage assessments, which rely heavily on aerial platforms. These advanced drones, manufactured by General Atomics, cost approximately $30 million each and typically operate at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet (12,100 meters).
‘Prepare to face consequences’: Yemen warns UK after attacks on Sanaa
Yemen has targeted UK ships in the past in response to London’s participation in the US campaign against the country. On 10th April Yemen warned Britain against its continued participation in the US campaign of deadly airstrikes against Yemen that began last month.
“In a display of typical British arrogance, the UK Ministry of Defense announced participation in a joint military operation with the US enemy against our country, targeting areas south of Sanaa … The Government affirms that the British enemy must carefully consider the consequences of its involvement and be prepared to face the repercussions,” the Sanaa government said. “While we pledge to respond to this unlawful and unjustified aggression, we stress that this attack is part of ongoing Anglo-American efforts to support the Israeli enemy by attempting to block Yemen’s support for Palestine – enabling the Israeli enemy to continue its genocide in Gaza,” it added. The government statement also said Yemen will stand against the “trio of evil,” referring to the US, UK, and Israel, as well as “those who orbit around them.” The statement came hours after the UK its first joint attack against Yemen with Washington since Trump entered office this year. London played a primary role in the initial campaign against Yemen, launched in January 2024 by the former US administration of Biden. Yemeni forces targeted British warships and other commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden a number of times last year in response.
2 US Navy Defeated & Cease Fire follows
In a major recalibration of its year-long Red Sea military campaign, the US has agreed to a ceasefire with the Houthi armed forces, after months of escalating attacks under the guise of “protecting international shipping,” Washington now finds itself calling time on a conflict it launched – but failed to control.
After 3 fighter jets were shot down, and a near-hit on the so-called “stealth” F-35, plus the damages sustained on the 2 aircraft carriers, the loss of more than 25 Reaper drones, plus a destroyer and three supply ships sunk, in addition to damages on other American and British warships , the Americans raised their hands in defeat. While Yemen’s leaders stress that operations in support of Gaza will persist, the US pivot signals more than de-escalation: It is a tacit admission that its campaign has collapsed under pressure, unable to achieve even its most basic strategic goals. With over a thousand airstrikes launched since March 2025, Washington’s failure to contain the Yemeni threat in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden stands as a stark indictment of its military planning. The war devolved into a costly, high-stakes exercise in attrition – one in which Yemen emerged from stronger, not weaker. Gaza compelled Washington to opt for peace. In a speech delivered Thursday, al-Houthi stressed that Yemen’s position was not, based on “pleading or surrender. “He also affirmed Yemen’s full readiness to confront any new round of American aggression. The Yemeni leader indicated that the US would not have mobilized all its resources, including aircraft carriers and strategic bombers, had the Yemeni people’s stance not been impactful. al-Houthi pointed to the complete and unequivocal success of the blockade on Israeli maritime navigation as part of the effort The United States’ failure to affect Yemen’s military operations in support of the Palestinian Resistance in to support the Palestinian people. He noted that the trajectory of operations into the depths of occupied Palestine against the Israeli occupation “has continued with growing momentum.”
Oman brokers US-Yemen ceasefire.
Oman mediates a ceasefire between the US and Sanaa, but Yemen pledges continued operations against “Israel” over its aggression on Gaza. The Omani Foreign Ministry announced that it had successfully brokered a ceasefire agreement between the United States and the authorities in Sanaa, aimed at achieving mutual de-escalation. The agreement entails a commitment by both sides, Washington and the Sanaa-based government, not to target each other in future military operations. The declaration appears to have caught the Israeli occupation off guard, with a senior Israeli official saying, “We didn’t know about this. Trump surprised us.” Despite Trump’s claims of a breakthrough, Ansar Allah affirmed that military operations in the Red Sea and against “Israel” would continue until the aggression on Gaza ends and the siege on its people. Ansar Allah “will not stop regardless of the consequences until the end of the aggression on Gaza and blockade on its people”. The Israeli occupation was not informed in advance about the US decision to halt its aggression on Yemen. Trump’s remarks came just hours after Israeli warplanes carried out bombing raids on Sanaa, resulting in several casualties and injuries. Sanaa International Airport was targeted by a series of Israeli airstrikes. Footage shared on social media platforms showed scenes of Israeli airstrikes reportedly targeting Sanaa International Airport. Launching an attack on Yemen following the Gaza genocide’s eruption, a vast US flotilla led by USS Eisenhower spent nine months getting battered by a relentless barrage of Ansar Allah drones and missiles to no avail, before scurrying back to the US. This was a retreat masked as restraint.
Between March 2024 and May 2025, the US launched over 1,000 airstrikes on Yemen. Yet, rather than break its adversary, the campaign emboldened it. In retaliation, Yemen escalated steadily – from targeting Israeli vessels in November 2023, to US and UK ships by January, then by March, US warships and the Ben Gurion Airport and Israel by May. The costs piled up. In the first three weeks alone, the US burned through $1 billion. Weapons like Tomahawk and JASSM missiles – costing millions apiece – were deployed against drones worth a few thousand dollars. Yemen’s 17 MQ-9 Reaper drones shot down, two $60 million F-18 fighters lost in just over a week, and a declared aerial blockade of Israel. Yemen developed its arsenal domestically, without foreign technical assistance. That included the hypersonic missiles that bypassed Israeli and US air defenses, and drones capable of striking both military and commercial ships. Even as Washington intensified its bombardment, Yemen’s operational tempo and range only grew. Yemen, meanwhile, delivered iconic images; among them, a father shielding his child during a bombing raid – a powerful symbol of national defiance. As civilian casualties mounted, so did public fury. Scenes of women and children pulled from rubble circulated widely, drawing uncomfortable parallels with past US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Far from fracturing under pressure, the public rallied behind Ansarallah. The more the US escalated, the more entrenched Yemeni resistance became – both militarily and socially. Now, the Trump administration is seeking peace without admitting defeat. But Sanaa is not standing still. It promises continued operations, and with them, new strategic equations that could further upend the regional balance of power.
The United States’ failure to affect Yemen’s military operations in support of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza compelled Washington to opt for a cease fire, pointed out the leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. A recent statement by President Trump said “We take their word for it… We hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment,” he said. “You could say there’s a lot of bravery there.” A spokesman at the Foreign Ministry said today that, following recent discussions and contacts conducted by the Sultanate of Oman with the United States and the relevant authorities in Sana’a, in the Republic of Yemen, with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping. The US ends its Red Sea campaign not by victory, but by necessity borne out by a humiliating failure – under relentless pressure from an underestimated Yemeni resistance. Despite the might of its airpower, Washington failed to dent Sanaa’s capacity or will to fight. Instead, the bombardment accelerated Yemen’s counter-attacks, forcing Washington into a deterrence game it could not win.
Yemen’s unconventional warfare style, grounded in its topography and culture, posed immense challenges. Leaders operated from mountainous terrain fortified by tunnel systems, well beyond the reach of satellite surveillance. The US had little intelligence penetration into Yemen’s military hierarchy and no functioning target bank. Sanaa’s leadership, experienced from years of prior war against the Saudi and UAE-led coalition and its proxies, held the advantage. This was one of the key reasons for the campaign’s failure. First, Yemen’s use of low-cost, high-impact weapons – ballistic missiles and drones – pierced even US carrier strike groups. Second, the campaign failed to protect Israeli or allied shipping. Third, Ansarallah exposed Israeli-American defense weaknesses and clung to its demands: Namely, an end to the war on Gaza. Fourth, apart from Bahrain, Washington’s Arab allies to join the US-led coalition. Fifth, the financial cost spiraled, with the US spending millions on interceptors to counter drones built for mere thousands. Washington’s diplomatic push to build a regional anti-Yemen coalition fell flat. Still stung from their own failures in Yemen, Gulf Arabs wisely kept their distance. Saudi Arabia refused to be drawn back into a war it has been trying to exit since 2022. The UAE, meanwhile, limited its support to logistics. Egypt stayed silent, unwilling to be sucked into another regional escalation. This reticence was not without reason. Ansarallah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi issued a warning to neighboring countries: Any cooperation with the US – via bases or troops – would bring immediate retaliation. The threat worked. When Washington explored the idea of a ground assault using US Special Forces and Persian Gulf-backed militias, the plan quickly collapsed. Yemen’s terrain, its entrenched resistance, and the bitter legacy of previous Saudi-Emirati attempts made such a venture untenable. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have internalized the cost of further escalation. While both continue to bankroll proxy militias, they are steering clear of overt military entanglement. Yemen’s ability to withstand this trilateral aggression – and to land blows on US and Israeli interests – further eroded faith in Washington’s protective umbrella.
3 US Military Losses
Recent US Navy failures, including the loss of a $60M jet, reveal the crumbling facade of Washington’s war on Yemen, as Ansar Allah’s resistance outpaces the US’ billion-dollar military efforts. Then, on February 12th this year, USS Harry S. Truman was extensively damaged after an attack by the Houthis. The aircraft carrier returned to service after spending weeks in Greece’s Souda Bay for repairs. The US Navy refused to release details about the cost of these repairs, or the total damage USS Harry S. Truman sustained in the collision. Throughout Operation Prosperity Guardian, current and former US military and intelligence officials expressed disquiet at the enormous “cost offset” involved in battling Ansar Allah. The US Navy squandered countless difficult-to-replace missiles costing hundreds of thousands of dollars – if not millions – daily to shoot down the Resistance group’s low-cost drones. As Mick Mulroy, a former DOD official and CIA officer, bitterly stated: “[This] quickly becomes a problem because the most benefit, even if we do shoot down their incoming missiles and drones, is in [Yemen’s] favor…We, the US, need to start looking at systems that can defeat these that are more in line with the costs they are expending to attack us.” There was no sign of this “cost offset” having been remediated by the time Operation Prosperity Guardian fizzled out in July 2024. US Navy figures on the “unprecedented” engagement suggest the USS Eisenhower-led carrier group fired a total of 155 standard missiles and 135 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, while accompanying fighter jets and helicopters “expended nearly 60 air-to-air missiles and released 420 air-to-surface weapons” – 770 munitions in total – over the nine-month-long conflict. Then in June that year, the USS Eisenhower retreated from its sphere of operations in the Red Sea at maximum speed, immediately after Ansar Allah announced it had successfully struck the carrier. Not to forget that most of these ships had run out of ammunition, both for the ships and the planes. That was another reason to retreat. Remember, all their supply ships (containing fuel and ammo) were sunk.
Associated Press stated that participating sailors and pilots had found the experience “traumatizing”, as they “weren’t used to being fired on.” Many had repeatedly come within seconds of being struck by “Houthi-launched missiles”, before they were destroyed “by their ship’s defensive systems.” The Pentagon was thus considering providing “counseling and treatment” to thousands of US Navy employees suffering from “post-traumatic stress”, and their families. In short, these US sailors are in shock and fear!
* 3 aircraft carriers damaged – USS Eisenhower, USS Harry Truman and USS Carl Vinson
* 3 fighter jets shot down
*1 destroyer sunk
* 3 supply ships sunk
* approx. 25 Reaper drones shot down
* Expenditure of fuel and missiles, etc.
Back in Washington, the cracks were showing. The US suffered further humiliation: a destroyer and three supply ships were sunk, and both the aircraft carriers were targeted. Despite spending another $700 million on interceptors, the results were negligible. The image of US warplanes crashing into the sea, and of exhausted troops – some 7,000 deployed – unable to break Yemen’s resolve, dented American prestige. All in all, the US military campaign cost the US more than $ 5 billion – including lost equipment, such as jets, drones, sips, ammo and fuel – all for nothing. The US gained nothing but failure and global humiliation. The greatest military power on earth failed to defeat the most impoverished country in the world. No coalition, no ground game. Bombs, billions, and blunders. But the military track backfired, hardening local resistance and undermining US credibility. Even stealth aircraft and strategic bombers failed to achieve deterrence. The Trump administration faced two options: retreat under the weight of defeat, or engage in talks under Ansarallah’s terms – chief among them an end to the Gaza war. From the outset, Washington struggled to manufacture a narrative of victory. The Pentagon released videos of jets launching from carriers – empty spectacle, absent substance. There were no “shock and awe” moments, no milestones to sell as success. Another key factor involved the Houthi ban on ships carrying US oil.
Ansar-Allah announced that all ships containing oil imported from the U.S. will not be allowed to go through the Red Sea or Arabic Sea. This would have had a huge impact on export of US oil to Asia and Europe, not to mention that all US military bases need a continuous supply of oil. Do note, the Pentagon consumes more than 1 million barrels of oil, DAILY! It is possible that the US aircraft carriers in the Red Sea would be targeted by the announcement of a list of sanctions on US crude oil and the prevention of cargo ships from passing through the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Arabian Sea. This, had it been implemented on May 17, 2025, would have led to significant damage to the US economy and its international standing, weakening its political and military influence, or sparking a comprehensive, uncompromising war in which other countries might intervene, given the nature of the situation and the geopolitical and logistical consequences. In this context, the US had no choice but to conclude this agreement to overcome the Yemeni ban on ships carrying US crude oil from passing through the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and Bab al-Mandab. This was explicitly announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was present at the White House when Trump announced the agreement. Secretary Rubio said that the goal and purpose of this agreement is to facilitate the passage of cargo ships carrying US oil in the Red Sea.
Targeting ‘Israel’- excluded from truce
Ansar Allah has made it clear they As international pressure mounts on shipping firms to return to Red Sea routes, some may opt to bypass Israeli ports altogether to avoid confrontation, bringing the specter of a real economic blockade closer than ever. Trump, meanwhile, is focused on strategic advantage and financial return. He recently unblocked weapons shipments that had been frozen under President Joe Biden, moves that serve both “Israel’s” defense needs and US arms manufacturers. In short, the truce may be a diplomatic victory for Trump and a logistical win for global shipping, but for “Israel”, it marks a strategic setback and a wake-up call. US doesn’t need Israeli permission to strike deal with Yemen: Huckabee. United States Ambassador to “Israel” Mike Huckabee when emphasized that the United States does not need “Israel’s” approval to negotiate an arrangement aimed at stopping Yemeni attacks on American ships. “The United States isn’t required to get permission from Israel to make some type of arrangement that would get the Houthis from firing on our ships,” the ambassador said. Based on reports coming out from Yemen, Ansar-Allah understands that the agreement does not mean they stop attaching Israel. Israel is very angry at Trump for making a deal with Yemen without consulting them. Days later, Yemen caused untold economic damage by hitting Ben Gurion Airport , the US president blindsided his allies; this has no doubt unsettled Jerusalem amid nuclear talks. Without coordinating with Israel or other allies, Trump announced during a White House meeting that the Houthis had agreed to stop attacking shipping lanes in the Red Sea and said that the US would halt its attacks on the Houthi group…. Israel, it seems, is on its own in the fight against the Houthis.
4 US still pressures Yemen – the Asymmetric US war on Yemen
US aggression on Yemen targeted civilian infrastructure. The Pentagon said on Tuesday that US Central Command forces have struck 1,000 targets in Yemen since March 15, killing roughly 200 Yemeni civilians and destroying much of the country’s critical infrastructure. How bad is the situation on the ground for ordinary people? (Is there enough food, water and medical supplies?) The number of civilians killed and injured might be much higher than the reported ones. It is possible that many of the injured died due to severe injuries and lack of appropriate medical care in Yemen. The health system in Yemen is only operating at less than 50% since most of the health centers were bombed by the Saudi led coalition.
The second largest port for importing fuel and gas was destroyed by the U.S. resulting in severe fuel and gas shortages. People are waiting in lines for up to 12 hours and they still can’t get fuel for their cars. The U.S. and the Israeli bombed Hodeida port making it difficult to import food, fuel and essential goods into the country. There are about 17 million people in Yemen who need humanitarian assistance. Millions of Yemeni children suffer from malnutrition. This will affect their cognitive development and will affect them for generations to come. The enemy is trying to subjugate our economy and force us to obtain our imports of food, medicine, and other necessities, as well as oil and gas, from Mokha Port and Ma’rib Governorate. This will place our economy in the hands of others and will place our economy under their supervision and control. The destruction of the cement factories has also greatly damaged our economy, which is another important nerve center for the economy. It has also damaged three major power plants, the infrastructure at Sana’a Airport, and three Airbus aircraft, which is affiliated with Yemenia Airlines.
The story continues in Part 2.
