Adam Barron, a researcher at the Future Security Project at the New America think tank, said the drone attacks on Saudi oil pipelines from Iraq reflect a “precarious situation across the Middle East.” Since the US-Israel war against Iran six months ago, we have faced a situation where a series of interconnected, multi-front conflicts are “burning” across the region. The Houthi rebels’ swift capture of key cities on Yemen’s west coast from Saudi-backed forces is “absolutely a turning point.” This constitutes the loss of some of the most strategically important territories in Yemen. In terms of Yemen’s strategic location, nothing is more significant than a military group gaining access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Barron suggested that the internationally recognized withdrawal of government forces with little fighting may be a tactical arrangement “for the next battle.” However, Saudi-led airstrikes alone are unlikely to drive the Houthis out; a “unified” ground force is needed.
