Former Israeli Navy Commander: We Have No Solution to Counter Sanaa Forces in the Red Sea
Former Israeli Navy Commander admits the difficulty of defeating Sanaa forces and confirms Tel Aviv's inability to find a solution to the threat coming from Yemen.
NYN | Reports and Analyses
Former Commander of the Israeli Navy and former head of Naval Intelligence, Major General (Ret.) Eliezer Marom, admitted the difficulty of achieving a decisive military victory in the confrontation with Sanaa forces, noting that this assessment has become a firm conviction within Israeli military circles.
The Hebrew newspaper Maariv quoted Marom as saying that the Israeli military establishment realizes the nature of the challenge posed by Sanaa forces, considering that defeating them or deciding the battle against them is exceedingly difficult.
The retired Israeli general added that, according to his assessment, Sanaa forces have managed to apply significant pressure on the movement of European fleets in the Red Sea, noting that the United States does not appear willing to engage in an open-ended confrontation with them.
European Navies Unable to Face the Challenges
Marom pointed out that European naval forces, chief among them the British Royal Navy, have reached a level of difficulty that leaves them unable to cope with the challenges imposed by Yemeni operations in the Red Sea.
He considered that developments in the region have revealed growing complexities for Western naval powers amid ongoing risks facing maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
Tel Aviv: No Clear Solution to the Threat from Yemen
In a striking admission, Marom said that Israel has not yet been able to find an appropriate way to deal with the threat originating from Yemen, adding: “At present, there is no solution to this issue.”
According to the newspaper, this statement reflects the magnitude of the difficulties Israel faces in handling Yemeni military capabilities, particularly given that Sanaa forces possess a diverse arsenal of missiles and drones.
Criticism of the Saudi and Emirati Role
The former Israeli Navy Commander also criticized the performance of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, arguing that both countries failed to curb the growth of Sanaa forces’ military capabilities or prevent the development of their missile and drone systems.
Marom viewed that relying on local anti-Sanaa factions inside Yemen does not offer Israel sufficient guarantees, emphasizing that dependence on them does not inspire optimism and cannot serve as a reliable basis for countering the Yemeni threat.
A New Equation in the Red Sea
These statements come amid ongoing debate within Israeli and Western military circles regarding the capacity of international naval forces to handle security challenges in the Red Sea.
Marom’s assessment indicates that the confrontation with Sanaa forces has evolved into a strategic challenge extending beyond direct military operations, with direct implications for maritime security and the movement of international fleets in one of the world’s most vital sea lanes.
