Lebanese Newspaper Reports Escalating US Moves Against Yemen: Support for Saudi Escalation Options and Potential Ground Action
Al-Akhbar newspaper quotes sources in Sana’a stating that any new Saudi escalation is occurring with US coordination, revealing military and political contacts aimed at supporting battlefield tracks on the West Coast and Bab al-Mandab
NYN | Reports and Analyses
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar tracked accelerating US political and military movements regarding the Yemeni file, pointing to indicators that Washington is engaged in preparations tied to potential Saudi escalation against Yemen, contrary to media accounts suggesting a US refusal to lead any new confrontation.
Quoting political sources in Sana’a, the paper reported that the narrative broadcast by the Israeli channel KAN regarding Washington’s rejection of a Saudi request to lead the battle against Yemen does not, according to these sources, reflect the reality of the US role in ongoing developments. They suggested the narrative aims to downplay the extent of US-Saudi coordination.
Sana’a: Saudi Escalation Cannot Be Separated from US Support
According to Al-Akhbar, sources in Sana’a maintain that any new Saudi military move against Yemen will not occur independently of US support and coordination, given what the sources view as ongoing US security and defense commitments to Saudi Arabia and the intertwined strategic interests of the two nations.
The paper noted that this assessment comes amid a surge in diplomatic and military communications regarding Yemen, coinciding with growing talk of new operational options should escalation resume.
US Movements and Contacts with Pro-Riyadh Factions
The newspaper pointed to a series of recent meetings and communications, including discussions held by the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy to Yemen, Neal Kope, with members of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, as well as meetings with political and military figures, including Sultan al-Arada.
The report also cited contacts made by the US Military Attaché, Sean Newcomb, with front-line commanders, coinciding with Saudi diplomatic engagements with the US administration, including officials at the Department of Defense (Pentagon) and members of Congress.
US Support for Ground Operations on the West Coast
Al-Akhbar highlighted that these moves coincide, according to its sources, with prior US inclinations to support ground military options in the coastal areas of western Yemen, as well as the mountainous regions overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait.
According to the report, this trajectory falls within attempts to reorganize military strategies toward Yemen, particularly given the strategic importance of the West Coast and the Bab al-Mandab strait to international shipping.
Saudi-US Military Meetings
The paper also connected these developments to reports of a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper. It suggested that the concurrence of these political and military contacts reflects an advanced level of coordination between Riyadh and Washington concerning Yemen.
These developments unfold amid rising speculation over the future of the conflict in Yemen, accompanied by intense regional and international activity and growing fears that tensions could shift toward new military fronts along the Red Sea and the West Coast.
