On the morning of January 12th United States and British warplanes, naval vessels, and submarines began a coordinated bombing campaign against Ansar Allah (referred to by the west as the “Houthis”) within Yemen as well as the Red Sea. These attacks occur against the backdrop of Ansar Allah forces' successful disruption of Zionist-affiliated merchant shipping within the Red Sea. The US-UK bombing coincided with the start of International Court of Justice proceedings in The Hague, with South Africa filing suit against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Purpose of Strikes Remain Mystery

The US and UK know this escalation against Yemeni resistance forces will not be effective in deterring them but may help distract the global public from ICJ hearings that have put Israel in the hot seat. No established military doctrine advises an air war against targets, particularly in the context of the securing of shipping channels. Throughout recent history, air operations without support of accompanying ground forces have proven ineffective at eliminating enemy forces. Ansar Allah will repair most damaged infrastructure in the coming days and weeks, vow retaliation, and these airstrikes will provide them even greater motivation in their efforts to enforce the Genocide Convention through disruption of Zionist-aligned vessels off the coast of Yemen.

Pentagon officials have continued to withhold details of their intentions behind this operation. The intended size, scope, or duration of this mission has not been commented on in any serious capacity. The Biden administration green-lit the operation, bypassing Congress, which did not approve military action in Yemen. Nor was the American public informed whether the strikes would be a limited action, a short term campaign, or preparations for a full-scale conventional war within Yemen.

While speaking with journalists about the strikes, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated “We’re not interested in… a war with Yemen. We are not interested in a conflict of any kind”. These words came in sharp contrast to the actions of the United States military, as it is generally understood that dropping bombs on a country invites conflict.

International commercial shipping companies, Israeli aligned or neutral parties, will now be even more reluctant to resume operations, as U.S. officials have begun urging commercial shipping vessels to avoid the area. If the strikes were intended to secure freedom of navigation, they were entirely counterproductive. A growing number of major shipping companies have announced a cessation of operations in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Questions Emerge As US Sailors Confirmed Missing In Action

The American public is already raising questions about U.S. casualties resulting from Yemen's defense capabilities. While the U.S. Navy asserts no damage or casualties so far, Ansar Allah claims to have destroyed several U.S. vessels and aircraft. Considering Yemen's attacks, the acknowledged competency crisis in the U.S. Navy, and the vulnerability of U.S. ship defenses to "swarm" attacks and concentrated fire, the current strategy employed by Yemen in this conflict stage remains unclear. The true extent of Naval casualties is unknown and may not be confirmed for some time.

The inquiry into casualties arises following confirmation from United States Central Command that search and rescue operations are in progress in the Gulf of Aden. Two Naval Special Warfare Command operators are reportedly missing during operations against Ansar Allah shipping vessels. Historically, the U.S. Department of Defense promptly discloses service members killed in military action. However, due to the politically controversial and legally questionable nature of these operations, there's a possibility that, in an effort to conceal the true extent of their actions, the Department of Defense might label decreased soldiers from combat casualties as "missing."

The United States' illegal military action against the just cause of anti-Zionist Ansar Allah resistance in Yemen will not halt legal proceedings against Israel on the international stage. The international movement against Zionism in general and Israeli war crimes in Gaza in particular will continue to grow and intensify. In the eyes of the world, NATO and Israel are clearly aggressors who have nearly exhausted their political capital, as a global anti-imperialist coalition of countries is on the rise.