The US strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis are being closely watched by US partners in the region. The Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE will want to see what comes next and if these strikes have the intended affect. Headlines in the region show how closely this is being watched and hint at support from around the region.
Arab News noted on March 16 that “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that the United States would conduct ‘unrelenting’ strikes against the Houthis in Yemen until the militia ceases its military actions targeting US assets and global shipping.”
Al-Arabiya has a whole banner on the top of its site about the “continuous coverage” of the strikes. There is an entire page now devoted to articles solely focused on US President Donald Trump’s decision to strike the Houthis.
What are the headlines at Al-Arabiya? They detail the targets and the various comments by the Houthis, Iran, Hezbollah, and others, as well as the US administration vowing to keep up the pressure. This coverage is in Arabic and English.
Al-Ain media in the UAE also has wall-to-wall coverage.
This matters because the Houthis have been fighting Saudi Arabia since 2015 when Riyadh intervened in Yemen to prevent them from taking over Aden. The Houthis also threatened the UAE.
The group is a menace. Hegseth’s comments are getting noticed in the region. He spoke to Fox News on Sunday and discussed the attacks. "This (attack) will continue until you say: We will not bomb ships and assets,” Al-Ain reported him saying. This is what the Gulf wants to hear. They want to see US strength.
Sources told Al-Ain that approximately 40 US airstrikes had been carried out by dawn on Sunday, targeting Houthi militia positions in six Yemeni governorates and leaving more than 30 dead. “A US official stated that US military strikes on the Iranian-allied Houthi militia in Yemen could last for days or even weeks,” the report said.
“The airstrikes concentrated on areas in Sana'a, Sa'dah, and Al Bayda, where columns of smoke could be seen rising from the targeted sites. Rescue teams rushed to the bombardment sites to transport the wounded, including women and children,” the report at Al-Ain said.
Washington will use 'overwhelming lethal force'
Trump added that Washington "will use overwhelming lethal force to achieve our objective," the report noted.
He has emphasized that the Houthis have become a direct threat to international shipping, referring to the attacks targeting Israeli and other ships associated with them.
The Houthis have said they will respond. They could attack Israeli ships or US targets, the Houthis have indicated.
Al-Ain says that Russia has called for dialogue. “The US strikes come amid growing concerns about the conflict's repercussions on global trade. About 12 percent of global shipping transits the Red Sea, a waterway that has been under unprecedented threat since the Houthi attacks began.”
The report adds that “amid this growing escalation, Russia called for calm and political dialogue, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informing his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, of the need to refrain from the use of force and focus on a diplomatic path to resolve the crisis.”
Al-Ain says that “Moscow stressed that any further escalation could lead to further tensions in the Middle East, calling for efforts to find a comprehensive settlement to the Yemeni crisis rather than escalating violence.”
These strikes will be closely watched to see if the Houthis back down or if they strike back. The Trump administration has spoken about peace through strength in past strikes.
On March 4 the White House noted, “President Donald J. Trump will always put the American people first — and through restoring the US military’s mission of lethality and leading with peace through strength in his foreign policy, President Trump is making good on his commitment to restore safety and security around the world.”
The region hopes that the US can bring peace through strength via policies such as deterring the Houthis.