Alwaght- While in recent weeks Oman was delegated by Saudi Arabia and the US to persuade Yemen’s Ansarullah Movement for extension of the ceasefire, the lack of seriousness by Riyadh and its allies seems to have pushed Ansarullah to the conviction that it needs to seek plans other than peace clandestinely.
Though in recent weeks rumors circulated about Saudi Arabia's agreement to Ansarullah conditions and peace talks were anticipated to conclude into a peace deal, it looks that the Omani delegations' visits to the capitals of the two sides are waste of time and the Saudis are just buying time, something arousing the ire of Sana’a.
On the eve of the 8th anniversary of the war on Yemen, Sana’a leaders once again warned the aggression countries against the continuation of their hostilities. Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen, in a speech, called on the aggressors to stop the war, lift the blockade, and pull out, or face “grave” consequences. Al-Mashat demanded the occupation’s commitment to all the obligations and legitimate rights of the Yemeni people and emphasized on their share from the resources and wealth of their country and the right to receive wages and services.
On the other hand, Yemen’s parliament warned the Arab coalition that ignoring the patience and suffering of the Yemeni people could bring dangerous consequences.
At the same time, thousands held massive marches in various cities on the anniversary of Chairman of Supreme Political Council Saleh Ali al-Samad who was killed in a Saudi missile strike in 2018, reiterating their resistance until exit of the enemy forces from Yemen. They warned that “we will never allow the American and British forces to build presence on our soil.... We will liberate Yemen from any foreign occupation and insist on our legal rights.”
Popular and state warnings from Yemen come as over the past five months, Ansarullah stopped its operations against the aggression forces for chances to the Arab coalition to decide an end to the war. But Riyadh and its accomplice the US seems to have mistaken the Yemeni tolerance for weakness and are seeking to perpetuate the no-war-no-peace status so that they can buy immunity from Ansarullah missile operations and at the same time continue to plunder oil and gas resources in southern regions of the country.
Surprise for aggressors
In recent months, Ansarullah leaders have several times warned that if Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue their violations, they would lose patience and resume missile attacks in their depth. Indeed, the current peace is the lull before the storm and once the storm starts, it will ravage the Saudis and their allies.
One month is left to the 8th anniversary of the start of the war in Yemen, and this short period is a good opportunity for the leaders of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to ponder all aspects and choose the right path. Because Ansarullah’s pattern of behavior and action has proven that the movement has surprises on the anniversaries of this devastating aggression, and this time, too, the Saudi and Emirati soil will very likely be targeted. Last year, Ansarullah dealt a heavy blow to kingdom with drone attacks on Aramco facilities. The strikes were so painful that shortly later, the Saudis yielded to a six-month truce deal.
Given Ansarullah’s stark warnings, if the Saudis continue their crimes against oppressed Yemeni people, the response will be way broader this time. In recent months, the Yemeni armed forces have repeatedly warned that the coming war will be more painful and wider than before. The Yemenis have said that if a new round of the conflict starts, its scope will not be limited to the land of the aggression states and will go beyond the region.
Ansarullah has warned that it does not tolerate no-peace-no-war status, and it would not remain silent as long as economic blockade holds and Yemen energy resources plundered. As a guarantor of national security, Ansarullah now feels a heavy duty amid popular calls for armed forces to respond to the violations as people argue that the aggressors only know the language of force.
The geopolitical changes on the international stage after Yemen war considered, possible resumed Yemen strikes on Saudi and Emirati oil facilities can inflict heavy costs on the two countries. The same would be true for the Western countries that are suffering from energy crunch as they would have to pay higher for energy with rallying prices.
US double standards
Over the past year, in addition to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the US, the Israeli regime, and European countries have also been active in Yemen, plundering its oil and gas as they build bases in the provinces of Hadhrahmaut and Al-Mahra. Ansarullah twice carried drones strikes on Saudi tankers seeking to dock in Yemeni ports to load oil, noting that these were only warning shots and future operations will be devastating. On the strength of its military power, the US is pushing for a foothold in the south to continue to loot the country’s oil and gas, but Ansarullah, unafraid of Washington, warns that American interests will be legitimate targets for the Yemeni armed forces. The leaders of Ansarullah brazenly threaten a US without whose permission the Persian Gulf monarchies do not make basic decisions and only serve as infantry for its sinister schemes.
The American occupation comes as the White House officials pose as peace seekers with their diplomatic activism. Sana’a, however, has warned against this contradiction. Reacting to the American rejection of the Chinese peace plan to end Ukraine war, Ansarullah Political Office member Abdul Malek al-Ajari spoke out against the American double standards.
“The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in response to China peace initiative said that the country that helps the Russian army cannot talk about peace. Very well, what can we say about countries that talk about Yemen peace but support militarily and diplomatically the aggression countries? Is their blood and our blood water?”, said al-Ajari.
Having supported the cruel Saudi war on Yemen by showing a green light to Riyadh rulers in 2015, the US has made huge efforts to make peace and save Saudi Arabia against Ansarullah missiles in order to avoid an international crisis in the current conditions.
Advances in negotiations
It seems that the Saudis have taken Ansarullah’s warning seriously on the eve of the anniversary of their war on Yemen and have been forced to take practical measures to provide benefits to the Yemenis from the negotiations. Minister of Transportation of Sana’a-based Government of National Salvation Abdul Wahab Al-Dara announced on Sunday that several commercial ships have entered the Hodeidah ports and several other ships are on their way to these ports. He said that after the inspection in the port of Djibouti, the ships sailed to the Yemeni port without delay.
“Among these ships, 18 are sailing from loading ports to Hodeidah, Al-Salif and Ras Isa ports, carrying food, petroleum products, and containers. The arrival of ships in Yemeni ports continues on a daily basis, to ensure that the needs of 70 percent of the Yemeni people are met. Providing the needs of Yemenis from the nearest ports and airports is one of their rights,” he maintained.
Earlier, these ships were regularly seized by the coalition countries for times reaching 10 months despite being inspected and gaining the necessary international licenses and authorizations to sail to Yemen. Ansarullah leaders insist that as long as blockade is not lifted, airports are not reopened, and state employees are not paid from oil sales revenues, no agreement will be not signed. The movement’s show of seriousness to execute its threats appears to have made the Saudis retreat.
When the war was at its onset, the armed-to-the-teeth Saudis and allies had the upper hand in the battleground developments, but as the time went by, the equations shifted to Sana’a favor and now it is Ansarullah that sets conditions for them. Ansarullah turned the tide with its missile and drone power and recently with naval achievements, and in addition to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, even the Israeli regime is afraid of its power and finds it a threat to its existence. Ansarullah’s achievements have been made against the backdrop of strict all-out blockade. It managed to build deterrence against the occupation relying on its domestic capabilities, and the huge spending by the Arab coalition states on air defenses from the US and Israeli regime well express this reality.
Eight years of war on Yemen yielded no fruits but defeat for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the two countries should exercise wisdom and strike a peace deal instead of pushing forward with occupation, as continuation of the crisis would have irreparable consequences for them. After all, the Yemenis have proven that they have nothing to lose and are capable of punishing the occupiers, and the recent warnings to the coalition should be taken serious and it should withdraw from Yemen and leave its fate to Yemenis.
