Sanaa Residents Fear Prolonged US-Houthi Confrontation

Smoke billows following a US strike on a Houthi position in Sanaa. (AP)
Smoke billows following a US strike on a Houthi position in Sanaa. (AP)
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Sanaa Residents Fear Prolonged US-Houthi Confrontation

Smoke billows following a US strike on a Houthi position in Sanaa. (AP)
Smoke billows following a US strike on a Houthi position in Sanaa. (AP)

Residents of Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, have grown accustomed to the sights and sounds of airstrikes targeting the Iran-aligned group’s positions over the years.

While they have learned to live with the looming threat to their daily lives, the latest US strikes have reignited fears of a prolonged confrontation that could further impact their livelihoods, compounding the effects of economic sanctions.

Sanaa and other Houthi-held areas came under US airstrikes late Saturday, following President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had ordered a decisive and forceful military operation against the group.

Locals in Sanaa fear that the latest strikes could signal the start of a prolonged conflict, particularly as the Houthis continue to defy the West and escalate military actions in the Red Sea.

Concerns have also been heightened by Washington’s increasingly hardline stance, which appears tougher than that of the Biden administration.

A journalist based in Sanaa said the intensity of the recent strikes revived memories of the early days of the war and the Houthi takeover.

However, he noted that residents have grown accustomed to the frequent air raids, with fear largely confined to those living near Houthi positions and affiliated buildings.

The primary concern for residents, according to the Sanaa-based journalist who requested anonymity, is not just the airstrikes but the potential impact of the escalating confrontation between the Houthis and the West on their livelihoods.

He noted that this time, the situation is compounded by Washington’s decision to designate the Houthi group as a foreign terrorist organization—a move expected to have severe repercussions on living conditions and the flow of humanitarian aid.

The group has pledged to escalate its military operations in response to US airstrikes, vowing to continue attacks in the Red Sea.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Monday that the group had targeted the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its accompanying vessels for the second time in 24 hours, following a previous strike late Sunday.



Iraq’s PMF Reinforces Deployment on Border with Syria 

A PMF vehicle is seen near the Iraqi-Syrian border. (Security media)
A PMF vehicle is seen near the Iraqi-Syrian border. (Security media)
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Iraq’s PMF Reinforces Deployment on Border with Syria 

A PMF vehicle is seen near the Iraqi-Syrian border. (Security media)
A PMF vehicle is seen near the Iraqi-Syrian border. (Security media)

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq announced that their forces have deployed in new areas near the border with Syria.

Army commander Amir Rashid Yarallah also toured the border area in western Nineveh near Syria.

No reason was given for the reinforcements, but they took places a day after fierce fighting on the Lebanese-Syrian border and four days after Baghdad announced the killing of the head of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

The US Central Command said Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, or “Abu Khadija,” was killed in Iraq’s Anbar province in an operation in cooperation with Iraqi intelligence and security forces.

Iraqi authorities have tightened border security since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December to prevent the infiltration of gunmen and members of ISIS to the country.

The PMF said its new reinforcements are in line with a deployment plan launched by the Nineveh operations command to boost security and stability in the area.

Forces are equipped with medium and heavy weapons and they will monitor the border to protect the country against any possible threat, it added.

Field sources in al-Anbar said they did not detect any unusual military activity near the border with Syria.

Also on Tuesday, the PMF stated that it did not record any security breach along the border with Syria.

Anbar operations commander Qassem Mosleh told the Iraqi News Agency that his forces are highly trained and armed. Effective cooperation is ongoing with all security agencies, including the army and police.

Moreover, he highlighted the high coordination with tribes in the area that have provided information about ISIS terrorist gangs.

Foreign Miniter Fuad Hussein had received in Baghdad last week his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani for talks on “joint security challenges”.