“Drapped building. He had multiple positive identifications,” said a message from one Michael Waltz. Share name with the National Security Minister of USA. “What?” He replies JD Vancewho could be the vice president of the country. “I write too fast; the first objective – his main missile expert – we identify with certainty entering his girlfriend’s building, and now he is collapsed,” says Waltz. “Excellent,” says Vance. With that exchange of messages in the messaging application Signalanother scandal was unleashed from the president’s administration Donald Trump Last month. The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegsethhe allegedly added by mistake to the chief editor of the magazine The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldbergwho shared it with the world.
But, apart from the stir that caused this injured filtration in Washington, there are actions on the ground that seem to have gone unnoticed. The messages announced the Restart of American bombings on Yemen. Since mid -March, this campaign of air attacks has killed at least 123 personasas announced by the Yemeni Ministry of Health. Most of the victims were civilians. Many of them are women y children. Throughout this month, the US army has attacked civilians, has exterminated families, has destroyed military facilities and killed soldiers.
Resistance axis
“Unlike the military operation launched by the administration of Joe Bidenwhose air attacks were very limited and focused on areas away from populated areas, those of the Trump administration are Very intense And they have expanded the number of objectives, “he explains Ahmed nagithe Analyst for Yemen of the International Crisis Group. “Not only do you attack military camps and deposits, but especially to High controls of the Hutí Movementalthough we exactly do not know who the attacked people are, “he tells this newspaper. The hutis are an armed political and religious group that defends the Shií Muslim minority From Yemen, the Zaidíes. Are part of the “Resistance axis“Leaded by Iran and control large parts of the country.
After the attack of Hamás of October 7, 2023, and the brutal Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Stripwhich has already charged more than 51,000 lives, the Hutis launched their own attacks against Israel. Apart from the projectile launch That, hard, they manage to reach Israeli soil, the Red Sea He became his battlefield. Between 2023 and early 2025, the Hutí offensive attacked more than 100 ships allegedly linked to Israel, the US or the United Kingdom. These attacks forced the main shipping companies to stop using the Red Sea, where almost the 15% of world maritime tradeand take a much longer route surrounding southern Africa, which raised transport costs and triggered an international military response.
Three messages
The year and a half of effects in world trade It motivated the recent American bombing campaign. Since March 15, Navy’s attack aircraft, from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, and combat aircraft of the Air Force, from Bases in the Middle EastThey have launched daily attacks against huti targets. “With this campaign, Trump wants to send three messages: to the hutis He tells them that they will not tolerate any attack in the Red Sea and that they will be aggressive against them; to the American publiche announces that his administration is very committed to the defense of their interests, because the Hutis threaten American national security by blocking global trade, “adds Nagi.
“Ultimately, Trump wants to send a clear message to Iran: ‘If you do not respond positively and sit in the negotiating tablewe will do the same with you ‘”, explains Nagi. At the moment, the American bombing campaign has not led the hutis to stop their attacks during the last weeks and even have even threatened to intensify them. “The US is not satisfied with the result of air attacks because Hutíes have not been dissuaded And they continue to intensify their attacks in some areas, which means that they did not completely achieve the main objective of the operation, “adds Nagi.
Possible land operation
Therefore, the first information on a possible land offensive against the hutis by the hutis by the Yemenis militias to take advantage of the degradation of the group’s capabilities due to the bombing campaign. However, the hutis are truly the only militia involved in the regional escalation after October 7, 2023 that is still standing, unlike the Hamás Palestine or the Hizbulá Lebanese. “Being remotely from Israel gives the Hutis a good position, since they are ambiguous, and prevent Israelis and American getting a lot Intelligence information About them, “Nagi analyzes.
“In addition, they have a strategic position In the Red Sea and control 28% of Yemen, so they have many places to hide without being tracked by their enemies; Within the resistance axis, they are who have less to lose When facing Israel, “explains the analyst. Beyond the survival of the hutis, it is the Yemenis who are paying the price of violence. Although the country is in a De facto truce from 2022the decade of war has caused the death of more than 160,000 people and the displacement of almost five million. The humanitarian situation It is critical, with 19.5 million Yemenis, half of the population, needing some kind of help. “The past has taught us that rapid solutions will not work,” Nagi concludes.
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