Thread: Iran, Saudis on Collision Course over Yemen

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia continued to escalate Saturday, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani slamming Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

"You planted the seeds of hatred in the hearts" of people in the region, said Rouhani at Iran's National Army Day ceremony, in comments directed at Saudi Arabia. "And you will see the response sooner or later," he added.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei previously called the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen a "genocide" and a "crime." Iran is believed to back the Shi'ite Houthi rebels with both military and financial support, but denies it.

Humanitarian assistance

Following more airstrikes Friday, Saudi Arabia pledged Saturday to provide the entire $274 million the United Nations requested for emergency humanitarian assistance in Yemen. The U.N. says at least 150,000 people have been displaced by the conflict, while more than 700 have died since the Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes three weeks ago.

"This contribution demonstrates the Kingdom's commitment to help the fraternal Yemeni people," an official statement quoted Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir as saying.

The Houthis took control of the capital, Sana'a in September. They then swept southward, forcing Western-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee.

The rebels are allied with former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was ousted as part of the so-called Arab Spring protests in 2012.

More here: Iran, Saudis on Collision Course over Yemen

I hope Iran has as much oil as Saudi. They would make much better friends and allies.

Saudi Arabia's "commitment to help the fraternal Yemeni people" is to bomb Yemen and Yemenis. Is that the best they can do?

Originally Posted by OhOh

Originally Posted by misskit

Iran is believed to back the Shi'ite Houthi rebels with both military and financial support,

Any evidence to back up your claim?

There will be when those Iranian ships full of weapons and supplies arrive in a Houthi-held port.

Some reading material for the grown ups:

https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/sa...-compete-yemen

Allegedly the US and SA have completed the current operation and are now moving to a containment operation.

Operation 'Decisive Storm' in Yemen has ended, new phase under way - Saudi-led forces



http://rt.com/news/251777-yemen-operation-end-saudi/

Originally Posted by OhOh

4. On the whole the "grown up" Stratfor published a very non alarmist article.

non alarmist?

Perhaps you should read it again - slowly.

It's patently obvious that Yemen is running out of water, is going to run out of food and is going to become a breeding ground for Sunni terrorists.

Letting the Houthi win would probably be the best fucking thing that could happen.

Otherwise the West is going to get tasked with keeping order again, and we end up with another big muslim shithole into which a large amount of troops and money get poured, with a tidy sum being siphoned off by the neocons.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

No worries. Uncle Sam coming to save the day.


The carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in transit with the missile cruiser USS Cowpens

American warships are prepared to intercept a convoy of Iranian ships suspected of carrying weapons to Houthi rebel forces in Yemen, senior defense and military officials told NBC News on Monday.

An Iranian convoy of freighters, escorted by warships from the Iranian military and Revolutionary Guard forces, appears headed for Yemen, the officials said.

They emphasized that while the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group would be in position to intercept the convoy, an intercept could also be carried out by Saudi Arabia, Egypt or the United Arab Emirates, which are patrolling the waters off Yemen.

Supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia has led Sunni Arab countries in carrying out more than three weeks of airstrikes targeting the rebels, who are backed by Iran and have seized parts of Yemen.

There is no indication that U.S. or other coalition warships have been in contact with the Iranians, but one official told NBC News, “They know we’re there.”

Some U.S. officials are concerned that the leak of the information is not good, coming at the same time as the United States and other countries try to reach a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

“Since this is now public, the Iranians may feel they’ve been backed into a corner” and attempt to run through any blockade set up by the coalition warships, one official said.

The deployment comes after a U.N. Security Council resolution approved last week imposed an arms embargo on leaders of the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels, who have taken over much of Yemen.

US warship heads to Yemeni waters; could block Iran weapons

Oh great, now moronicans are getting involved. That never ends well.

Yemen conflict: Saudi-led coalition resumes air strikes


Saudi-led coalition jets have bombed Houthi rebels in Yemen's third city of Taiz, hours after announcing the end of a military campaign against them.

The strikes followed the fall of the base outside Taiz of an army unit loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Fighting was also reported in the second city of Aden, Lahj's provincial capital Huta, and the town of Daleh.

On Tuesday, Riyadh declared its month-long campaign, which sought to restore the president, had achieved its goals.

But it warned that it would continue to take action against the Houthis as needed.

Iran, which has denied that is providing military assistance to the rebels, described the decision as a positive development and called for peace talks.

'Broken promise'

Not long after dawn on Wednesday, rebel fighters took control of the headquarters of the 35th Armoured Brigade on the northern outskirts of Taiz.

An army officer told the AFP news agency that dozens of people were killed or wounded in the heavy fighting.

Shortly after the takeover, coalition aircraft targeted rebel forces inside the base, the officer said.

They also bombed a gathering of rebels and allied military personnel loyal to ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh near the city's central prison, he added.

The 35th Brigade has stayed loyal to President Hadi, who fled the country at the end of March as the Houthis and their allies advanced on Aden.

The president took refuge in the southern port city after the rebels took full control of the capital Sanaa and placed him under house arrest.

Saudi diplomatic sources told BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, who is in Jeddah, that the air strikes had resumed because the Houthis "broke a promise" in Taiz.

The Saudis and the coalition partners reserved the right to use air power again when they announced the end of the bombing campaign.

The Saudis say an agreement is being finalised with the Houthis. If the deal is made, making it stick will be hard, our correspondent says.


Yemen conflict: Saudi-led coalition resumes air strikes - BBC News

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia has led Sunni Arab countries in carrying out more than three weeks of airstrikes targeting the rebels

The old president resigned and the Hothis are now the legitimate government.

Isn't that similar to the "legitimate" Ukrainian government who DC and other politicians now support.

A coup , an announcement of the formation of a new government. Sanction should be applied to the DC government along with all the GCC governments, if one was to be logical and consistent.

2014?15 Yemeni coup d'état - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"with the resignation of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and his ministers on 22 January 2015 after Houthi forces seized the presidential palace, residence, and key military installations, and culminated in the dissolution of parliament and the formation of a ruling council by Houthi militants on 6 February 2015."

It appears that part of the Yemeni Army, loyal to the ex president, has yielded control of oil fields, cities, ports, military bases and armaments and airfields to a recently renamed ISIS group. This ISIS group has renamed itself and now the SA have an airfield to resupply the new ex-ISIS but now a, friendly, "Yemeni Militant" group with whatever they require to assist in fighting the Houthis, bad, "Yemeni Militant" group. One must be grateful that the Yemeni army was able to walk away unharmed from the "battle". All in accordance with the recent UNSC resolution of course.

The military army leader is now safely in SA surrounded by his 21 virgins.

Amid chaos, Al-Qaida consolidates hold of Yemen province

"SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Al-Qaida's branch in Yemen consolidated control over much of the country's largest province on Thursday, capturing a major airport, an oil terminal and the area's main military base, and striking an alliance with local tribal leaders to administer the region."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/18/wo...en-crisis.html

"Qaeda fighters have seized the airport, government buildings and a refinery around Al Mukalla, establishing themselves as the most powerful local force. In an effort to win popular support, they have begun calling themselves the Sons of Hadhramaut and have promised to quickly return control of the city to local civilian leaders."

"DOWAAN, Yemen — A Yemeni Army unit handed over control of a group of oil fields to a coalition of armed tribes on Friday in an attempt to keep the fields from falling into the hands of Al Qaeda or other militant groups amid the chaos of a continuing bombing campaign led by Saudi Arabia.A Qaeda group in the same area seized an army base and its store of weapons on Friday, expanding the group’s recent territorial gains in and around the port city of Al Mukalla."


Saudi Arabia Signals Bombs Will Continue to Drop in Yemen | Foreign Policy


"Jubeir said that Saudi Arabia is providing support and weapons to so-called “Popular Committees,” militia groups who have in recent years emerged in Yemen as a counterweight to extremist groups in the country. Jubeir said that if the Houthis do not join the political process, these groups will step up activity against them."


"Houthi rebels demanded Wednesday that all Saudi attacks in Yemen cease, as a condition of the group joining the U.N. talks."

I read some informative article about this (sorry forgot where, so I can't post here or link them).

The "clash" discussed between Saudi Arabia and Iran, is a lot of hyperbole.

Yes, they disagree, but the Houthis are in an insurgency because after the revolution about 3-4 years ago, nothing changed.

There is still a large division over the northern and southern Yemenis, and both were separate countries until they united in 1990 (?).

Spoils, and govt jobs and opportunity apparently go to the northerners.

Oil prices extend gains as Yemen bombing continues
OIL prices extended gains yesterday as renewed fighting in Yemen brought focus back on potential supply disruptions in the Middle East.
Saudi-led coalition warplanes continued bombing Yemen on Wednesday despite an announcement by Riyadh that it was ending its campaign of air strikes.
While Yemen itself is not among the biggest oil producers in the region, Gulf producers ship oil along the Gulf of Aden on Yemen's southern coast and through the narrow straits of Bab el-Mandeb, between Yemen and Djibouti.
Oil prices have risen as much as US$10 this month due to supply concerns in the region as well as signs of stronger global demand.
Brent crude for June delivery was up 32 cents at US$63,05 a barrel by 0153 GMT, after settling 65 cents higher.
US crude for June delivery was trading 35 cents higher as US$56,51 a barrel. The contract had closed 45 cents lower in the previous session.
The US benchmark was weighed by Wednesday's government data showing crude stockpiles rose 5,3 million barrels last week, higher than the 2,9 million-barrel build expected by analysts in a Reuters survey.
It was the 15th consecutive weekly build for crude stocks and pushed US commercial inventories to a record peak.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) also said that domestic oil production saw its third weekly decline last week in four.
But some experts said the weekly government data is misleading and that output probably hasn't started falling yet, despite a lower number of rigs drilling for oil.
Executives at the CERA industry gathering in Houston said that with costs of fracking a shale well in the United States falling faster than expected, producers could keep working in oilfields that just months ago looked uncompetitive after the oil price crash. - Nampa-Reuters

The Namibian

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The Namibian

Why not The Brixton Bugle?

Originally Posted by OhOh

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The Namibian

Why not The Brixton Bugle?

Because it wasn't in the Brixton Bugle.

I did check, honest.

http://rt.com/news/255017-yemen-protest-saudi-strikes/

Thousands protest in Yemen against Saudi-led intervention





"As the Saudi-led coalition continues its offensive in Yemen, thousands in Sanaa took to the streets in protest against indiscriminate shelling that has claimed civilian lives. Meanwhile the Russia-called UNSC session failed to produce any results. Frustration, fury and raw anger prompted thousands of Yemenis to flood the streets of the Yemeni capital following another wave of Friday morning Saudi-led airstrikes. People were protesting against Saudi intervention in Yemen and the Saudi-led air campaign that has seen hundreds killed and thousands injured since the offensive began in late March.
As the Saudi-led coalition continues its offensive in Yemen, thousands in Sanaa took to the streets in protest against indiscriminate shelling that has claimed civilian lives. Meanwhile the Russia-called UNSC session failed to produce any results.
Frustration, fury and raw anger prompted thousands of Yemenis to flood the streets of the Yemeni capital following another wave of Friday morning Saudi-led airstrikes. People were protesting against Saudi intervention in Yemen and the Saudi-led air campaign that has seen hundreds killed and thousands injured since the offensive began in late March."





Seems some of the Yemenis have expressed themselves peaceably. Will anybody take note?

Now the Yemenis have allegedly shot down an F16 from one of the coalition. Expressing their will militarily as well it seems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=140&v=p8xt06yG91Q

Originally Posted by OhOh

Now the Yemenis have allegedly shot down an F16 from one of the coalition. Expressing their will militarily as well it seems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=140&v=p8xt06yG91Q

You have to be one dumb F16 pilot to get shot down by anti-aircraft guns.

Showing off perhaps?

A Moroccan F-16 apparently.

Originally Posted by OhOh

When is the DC government going to place SA under sanctions as a country invading a sovereign nation?

As soon as they admit to being hypocrites for many, many decades

The Iranians are allegedly intending to run the Saudi blockade of Yemen.

PressTV-?No one allowed to inspect Iran aid ship?




"The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) says no one has the right to inspect an Iranian ship carrying humanitarian aid for the people of war-stricken Yemen.

“Based on international regulations, no one can inspect a vessel that is moving in international waters carrying the flag of a country,” Amir Mohsen Ziya’ee said Tuesday.
The IRCS is a non-political organization and never pays attention to political issues, he said, stressing that the mission of the Iranian aid ship, which is loaded with relief supplies, is purely humanitarian.
The Nejat (Rescue) cargo ship, containing 2,500 tons of much-needed aid, including food, medical supplies and tents, left the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas for Yemen on Monday.

The aid consignment was donated by the IRCS and would reach Yemen’s port of al-Hudaydah in the Red Sea within the next 10 to 12 days.
A Press TV correspondent on board the vessel said a group of doctors are also on board the ship with a mission to help the poor people of Yemen, who have been seriously affected by Saudi military strikes over the past 50 days.


Earlier, the Saudi military had claimed that Saudi naval forces have the right to inspect the Iranian ship.
Saudi military spokesman Brigadier General Ahmad al-Assiri claimed on Tuesday that it is Saudi Arabia’s right to check the Iranian cargo."


The Iranians state within international waters and a moving ship cannot be inspected by anyone. What happens when the ship enters Yemeni waters is anyone's guess.


In addition there is also a report of the Iranian Red Cross ship being "safeguarded" by the Iranian Armarda.


"The Iranian Navy is safeguarding 'Iran Shahed' ship, the Iranian vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to the war-stricken people of Yemen, according to Rear Admiral Hossein Azad, the commander of the first zone of the Navy.

Iran Shahed ship left the Port of Shahid Rajaei in southern Iran for Yemen after loading humanitarian supplies in the Iranian commercial port on Monday.
Airstrikes on Yemen by a Saudi-led coalition have killed and wounded thousands of innocent people of the country so far.

Rear Admiral Azad told IRNA that the 34th fleet of the navy, which is present in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, provides special support for Iranian vessels carrying humanitarian aid.

This fleet escorts Iranian commercial vessels and tankers, and also safeguards ships from other nations whenever deemed necessary, Azad said, citing the saving of a ship owned by Hong Kong from pirates by the 34th fleet of the Iranian Navy."