Restoring Sanaa is like liberating Damascus

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The current Yemen war may lead to historic change, as happened in Syria with the overthrow of another pro-Iranian regime. Legitimacy extends its influence over more than two-thirds of the country and is fighting over what remains. But this third is not a picnic due to terrain and military considerations. It is a war with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Lebanese Hezbollah, which operate within the leadership and ranks of the Houthis. It may not be resolved quickly, despite what has been achieved in the north and southwest of the country.

This war differs from the previous war in Yemen, in 2015, in several ways. The Houthi militia has been operating for years under the supervision of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and not as some portray them - that they are barefoot and cave dwellers. Its members have trained in Lebanon and Iraq and prepared for this confrontation for years, making it another regional war with Tehran. Reliable reports indicate that Abdul-Reza Shahlai, a leader of the Iranian “Quds Force,” led the recent Houthi attack on the Tihama Plain.

What makes today’s Yemen war different from yesterday’s war are several new factors. The international community, which was divided, is now almost united against Al-Houthi. He became convinced that it was a just war for the sake of the Yemeni people. The war has also become a concern for regional security and international trade.

There is also a desire to end Houthi control and reduce Iranian influence in the region, which culminated in the overthrow of the Assad regime about two years ago.

Britain and the United States were pushing in the last Yemen war to prevent progress towards Hodeidah and Sanaa, believing that reaching a political solution in the Stockholm negotiations would achieve the goal. After about a decade of Houthi rule, it has become clear that Houthi is not much different from terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Hezbollah, which is a branch of the Iranian regime’s network, although there are sub-differences.

This year, the threat of the Houthis increased at the international level with the increase in the importance of “Bab al-Mandab,” because the Strait of Hormuz is almost closed due to the war with Iran, so the Red Sea became an alternative outlet for energy exports. In coordination with Iran, Al-Houthi announced that his goal was to close the strait. In line with Iranian targeting of transiting oil, Al-Houthi announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, and began targeting its tankers. For this purpose, last month, it seized Perim Island and the Mokha region, which was recently liberated.

Before that, the international community did not care much about correcting the situation in this afflicted country, until it became a problem that went beyond Yemeni people and neighboring countries, and became a danger to international navigation. The European Union, Britain, and the American administration were quick to denounce, and offered to provide logistical support for any operation against the Houthi group.

If the current war achieves its goals, it will end the Houthi control over the Yemeni people and stop the tragedy of millions of Yemenis. It saves about 22 million Yemenis under its control from the brink of famine and epidemics, as cholera cases have tripled in three weeks, according to World Health Organization data. Millions of children will return to school after living without studying for years.

The extremist religious group has turned Yemen into a corridor for those fleeing wars and famines in East Africa, a crossing point for drug smugglers, and a hotbed for Al-Qaeda and ISIS, which are active there and deal with Al-Houthi. The group has an arms smuggling relationship with the terrorist Al-Shabaab movement in Somalia.

Twelve years have passed since the Houthi rule. It took control of Sanaa by force, similar to the Lebanese Hezbollah. It bore a name that resembled it, “Ansar Allah,” and carried pictures of its leaders.

This war is different from previous wars and clashes. It is the first war that the legitimate, integrated Yemen has fought, with multiple Yemeni forces gathered under its banner, while previous confrontations were fought by the Arab coalition and government forces, which were limited internally.

The confrontations of the coming weeks and months may be decisive, as the head of the Yemeni Leadership Council set the goal of liberating Sanaa. If the Yemenis were able to defeat the Iranian group, this would be a major regional victory, as Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s forces did when they moved from Idlib Governorate and liberated the Syrian capital from the Assad regime.

Quoted from "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat"