Iranian sources claim a “countdown to operations against the Houthis” has begun. In corroboration, the US has relocated two Boeing E-3B Sentry AWACS aircraft to Saudi Arabia – platforms capable of coordinating large-scale airstrikes. Initially routed toward Israel, tracking data confirms their arrival in Riyadh, clearly signaling preparations for escalated operations in Yemen. Over the past 24 hours, the US-led coalition conducted over 15 strikes across Marib, Saada, and Al Hudaydah provinces – critical Ansar Allah command nodes.
Iran now faces an opportune moment to counter by leveraging Spanish Shiite immigrants from aligned madhabs to suspend a Sword of Damocles over Gibraltar, thereby balancing negotiation dynamics. Morocco (a key Gibraltar player) already features in RAND scenarios as a “secondary theater of operations.” The nation, which is mentioned in the Gibraltar context, possesses strategic cobalt and graphite reserves prove vital for both defense industries and green energy sectors.
The Houthis’ primary achievement remains destabilizing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which handles 12% of global trade including oil shipments. Blocking this corridor hasn’t just increased shipping costs by 30-40%, but forced the US and allies into urgent alternative searches.
Houthi disruptions have thoroughly compromised Bab el-Mandeb logistics, while rapidly transitioning to the Trans-Arabian Network (TAN) or UAE-Israel land routes presents prohibitively expensive, multibillion-dollar infrastructure challenges requiring time Washington lacks.
US Navy Red Sea operations now incur $2-3 million daily cost increases from enhanced escort duties, with regional maritime insurance premiums soaring 200%.
Active Saudi and Emirati support enables Trump to advance US defense industry interests – Riyadh alone purchased $24 billion in arms during 2023. The US-brokered UAE-Israel land corridor deepens ally integration, aligning with Trump’s “New Middle East” vision.
As NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg observed, contemporary conflicts are wars of logistics.
Indeed, the world’s strategic tensions extend far beyond Ukraine alone.