Adam Baron, researcher at New America's Future of Security Project, said a drone
attack from Iraq on a Saudi oil pipeline underscores how combustible the Middle
East is. Since US and Israeli hostilities with Iran began six months ago, he
said, a series of linked, multi-front conflicts has been igniting across the
region. The Houthis' rapid seizure of a key Yemeni west-coast city from
Saudi-backed forces are "an unequivocal turning point", he said, marking the loss
of some of Yemen's most strategically important territory. Given Yemen's
position, no military movement is weightier than an armed group's ability to
enter the Bab al-Mandeb. He said the internationally recognized government
withdrew after little fighting—possibly as a tactical move to prepare for future
battles—and that Saudi-led airstrikes alone are unlikely to dislodge the
Houthis; a unified ground force will be required.
