News reports from Yemen confirm that the port city of Aden has been retaken from the Houthi rebels who captured it four months ago. This is a major loss for Iran and a big win for the Saudis and Gulf Arabs.
First of all, one needs to remember that the Houthis are Shiites who are being supported with weapons and material by Iran. There has been talk of fighters from Iran and from Hezbollah joining the ranks of the Houthis, but there is no confirmation that anything of the sort has happened on an organized basis. There could be a few Iranians fighting with the Houthis or there could be a few regiments of Iranians. We just don't know for sure. What is certain, however, is that the Houthis are the close ally of Iran in Yemen.
Second, the group that ousted the Houthis from Aden is comprised of the remnants of the national army and the local Sunni militia which remains loyal to the last national government. This successful force has no connection at all to the local branch of al Qaeda (al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or "AQAP"). These fighters have been supported by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States which have supplied weapons and other materials as well as carrying out air strikes on the Houthi forces.
Aden is a strategic city for world commerce. Whoever controls Aden also controls the approaches to the Suez Canal. Were Iran to have control of Aden through the Houthis, it would be able to choke off a big percentage of world trade.
The United States has had essentially nothing to do with this fight. It is true that some months back when Iran sent a convoy of merchant ships towards Aden to bring supplies to the Houthis, the US Navy put a task force in the way to intercept the Iranians and bar their path to resupplying the Houthis. Since then, however, American involvement in Yemen has been non-existent.
The push in Yemen to oust the Houthis from Aden got new momentum when the nuclear deal with Iran was signed. The Saudis and their allies were forced to move quickly in Yemen against the Houthis so that the fighting could be concluded before Iran got all the cash it will receive under the nuclear weapons deal. Obama's "peace" agreement stirred up more war in Yemen.
No matter how one looks at these developments, they are a good thing for the world and for America. Removing the Iranians from one of the principal choke points of world commerce can only be viewed in a favorable light. We should thank the Saudis who have not been afraid to act.
First of all, one needs to remember that the Houthis are Shiites who are being supported with weapons and material by Iran. There has been talk of fighters from Iran and from Hezbollah joining the ranks of the Houthis, but there is no confirmation that anything of the sort has happened on an organized basis. There could be a few Iranians fighting with the Houthis or there could be a few regiments of Iranians. We just don't know for sure. What is certain, however, is that the Houthis are the close ally of Iran in Yemen.
Second, the group that ousted the Houthis from Aden is comprised of the remnants of the national army and the local Sunni militia which remains loyal to the last national government. This successful force has no connection at all to the local branch of al Qaeda (al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or "AQAP"). These fighters have been supported by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States which have supplied weapons and other materials as well as carrying out air strikes on the Houthi forces.
Aden is a strategic city for world commerce. Whoever controls Aden also controls the approaches to the Suez Canal. Were Iran to have control of Aden through the Houthis, it would be able to choke off a big percentage of world trade.
The United States has had essentially nothing to do with this fight. It is true that some months back when Iran sent a convoy of merchant ships towards Aden to bring supplies to the Houthis, the US Navy put a task force in the way to intercept the Iranians and bar their path to resupplying the Houthis. Since then, however, American involvement in Yemen has been non-existent.
The push in Yemen to oust the Houthis from Aden got new momentum when the nuclear deal with Iran was signed. The Saudis and their allies were forced to move quickly in Yemen against the Houthis so that the fighting could be concluded before Iran got all the cash it will receive under the nuclear weapons deal. Obama's "peace" agreement stirred up more war in Yemen.
No matter how one looks at these developments, they are a good thing for the world and for America. Removing the Iranians from one of the principal choke points of world commerce can only be viewed in a favorable light. We should thank the Saudis who have not been afraid to act.
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