DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Recent airstrikes, suspected to be conducted by the United States, targeted Yemen overnight into Saturday, allegedly resulting in the death of a civilian amid ongoing military operations aimed at sites in the Houthi-rebel-held capital, Sanaa.
As of yet, the full scope of destruction and potential casualties remains unclear. These airstrikes continue the campaign that commenced on March 15, with Friday’s strikes being notably intense relative to prior assaults. Under the newly initiated American strategy, the operations seem more intensified when compared to former strategies, shifting from solely targeting missile launch sites to also engaging military leadership and urban areas.
In a separate development, satellite imagery indicates the completion of a new airstrip near Yemen in a critical maritime corridor, raising speculation about its readiness to facilitate military flights, including the stationing of B-2 bombers, which could be employed in proximity to Yemen.
The most recent attacks, as reported by media outlets sympathetic to the Houthis, have focused on multiple regions under Houthi control including Sanaa, al-Jawf, and Saada. According to the Houthi-operated SABA news agency, the strikes in Saada have led to one fatality and injured four individuals, claiming the deceased was a civilian. Often, Houthi fighters are not distinguishable by uniform, leading analysts to suspect an underreporting of military fatalities.
Verified by the United States, a Friday morning strike was acknowledged with the release of video footage showing a targeted site in Yemen. Although the exact location was unspecified, analysis by experts suggests it correlates with a strike on military command centers in Sanaa, overseen by Houthi forces, which have not been publicly acknowledged by the rebels.
The Houthi-run Telecommunications and Information Technology ministry in Sanaa has separately claimed that American airstrikes from Friday obliterated “broadcasting stations, communication towers, and messaging networks” across the Amran and Saada regions, with particularly ferocious operations around Jebel Aswad, or “Black Mountain.”
The surge in U.S. military activity follows threats issued by the Houthis against shipping lines, in response to Israel’s blockade of aid to Gaza. Broadly interpreting what constitutes an Israeli vessel, the Houthis had already targeted over 100 merchant ships and even commenced attacks on American navy ships over recent months without success.
These actions have elevated both the Houthis’ prominence and their internal turmoil, exacerbated by stringent economic challenges and suppressions of dissent in this enduring conflict ravaging Yemen, one of the world’s poorest nations. Threats have now extended toward U.S. allies in the region, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, despite these nations’ absence from the current airstrike operations.
Recent satellite images analyzed Sunday highlight the presence of U.S. military assets, including four strategic stealth B-2 bombers stationed at Diego Garcia, an isolated Indian Ocean facility, strategically positioned beyond the range of Houthi threats, showcasing the significant U.S. military buildup in the area. Previously, three bombers had been noted at this location.
This deployment constitutes a quarter of America’s B-2 fleet, noting past operations involving the Obama administration utilizing B-2s with conventional weapons against Houthi interests. Concurrently, assaults have been launched from the USS Harry S. Truman stationed in the Red Sea, while plans unfold to deploy the USS Carl Vinson from Asian waters.
Meanwhile, France confirmed the anchorage of its aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, in Djibouti. Although France has previously engaged Houthi drones, it remains unaffiliated with the current American campaign. Satellite photos of Mayun Island divulge a completed airstrip—signifying its strategic readiness—portraying furnishing characteristic of the UAE, known for funding regional secessionist entities.
Mayun Island, also identified as Perim, stands as a strategic point recognized globally since antiquity, particularly following the Suez Canal’s inauguration, linking vast maritime routes across the Middle East and beyond. The UAE has similarly configured another airstrip on Abd al-Kuri Island, affirming the region’s increasing geostrategic prominence amidst ongoing regional discord.