NYN | News
The English-language magazine “The Cradle” reported that the ongoing failure of the U.S. military campaign in Yemen, alongside increasing escalation, could push regional players — particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE — into direct confrontation with Sana’a’s forces.
In a report titled “Is Yemen Targeting Its Missiles Toward the UAE and Saudi Arabia?” the magazine questioned whether Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were on the brink of being drawn into a war they could neither control nor win.
The report explained that despite more than a month of U.S. operations in Yemen, Washington has failed to achieve any tangible results, while the escalation continues, potentially pulling its regional partners deeper into the conflict.
It also pointed out that the war in Yemen has become increasingly tied to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, despite the Biden administration’s attempts to separate the two issues.
However, according to the magazine, the facts on the ground confirm this linkage, especially as military operations in Yemen have coincided with developments in the Palestinian arena.
The report cited the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in January 2025, which led to a temporary halt of attacks from Sana’a, before they resumed after Tel Aviv backtracked on its commitments, and with the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to office under the banner of protecting international shipping.
The magazine noted that the Trump administration made no effort to conceal the overlap between the two conflicts, unlike the Biden administration, pointing out that the American strikes would not have occurred without the obligation to protect Israeli ships.
The report added that Sana’a paid a heavy price for its stance, as Washington froze economic negotiations between Yemen and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to pressure Sana’a into withdrawing its support for Gaza. Washington also offered economic incentives in exchange for neutrality, but Sana’a firmly rejected these offers.
The magazine stressed that Sana’a’s support for the Palestinian cause stems from a deep-rooted belief that Palestine is a central issue, worthy of sacrifices even at the cost of immediate national interests.
Moreover, the political identity of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) is fundamentally based on rejecting Israeli hegemony and opposing any alliance with the normalization path.
The magazine concluded by highlighting the growing rift between Sana’a and Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which responded to Sana’a’s position by imposing sanctions and backing away from the April 2022 truce. The report noted that Sana’a’s stance diverges sharply from the broader geopolitical trajectory of the Gulf countries, now deeply entrenched in U.S. policy and normalization with Israel.
