Saudis’ overarching foray into Yemeni

The conflict has taken a new dimension as regional powers flex muscles. Iran, which supports the Houthi rebellion that sacked a shaky administration in January, has moved a couple of war ships to the Gulf of Aden, and demanded that Saudi Arabia halt its bombing of Yemen. The Saudis on the other hand insist that […]

The conflict has taken a new dimension as regional powers flex muscles. Iran, which supports the Houthi rebellion that sacked a shaky administration in January, has moved a couple of war ships to the Gulf of Aden, and demanded that Saudi Arabia halt its bombing of Yemen. The Saudis on the other hand insist that they would be no let up until Iran stopped supporting the Houthis, and the ousted president is returned to office.  Reports indicate that the Iranians are also considering a coalition against the Saudis. This is a perfect recipe for the bloody chaos to continue.  The original problem was between the supporters of elected President Abdallah Mansour Hadi, who was deposed in a coup by supporters of his predecessor, Ali Abdullahi Saleh. The largely Shiite Houthis invaded the presidential palace in the capital city of Sana’a and placed Hadi under house arrest until he escaped from to the port city of Aden for refuge, from where he began to run what appeared to be the remnant of his government.
Its neighbour Saudi Arabia watched with alarm as the Houthis made overtures to Iran, which flew aircraft to Sana’a, the first such flight in many years. Iran was staking a foothold in Yemen.  With nuclear talks with the West making progress and possible lifting of crippling sanctions, it seemed the Iranians were indeed emerging as the region’s de factor superpower.   
Reminiscent of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Saudi Arabia has cobbled together a mostly Sunni coalition of countries in the region to engage the Houthis and launch round-the-clock sorties under “Operation Decisive Storm, targeting virtually military installation and facility in every part of Yemen in the pursuit of its objectives.  The countries in this ‘coalition’ are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, UAE, and Sudan; the Pakistan parliament voted at the weekend to stop the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sherif from taking part. For the U.S., the war in Yemen is a boon for its defence industry. But non-combatant people are dying.   This full blown sectarian proxy war is the last thing the region needs, given the many conflicts that bedevil the Middle East and the destructive forays of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) still raging.   
Above the din of the daily briefings by a coalition spokesman in Riyadh, questions are beginning to be asked regarding whether the Saudi objectives have been thought-through.  Moreover, the objectives are questionable, because it is unlikely Iran would given in to the Saudi demand;  bombing an entire movement to submission and restoring Hadi to power would not bring the peace and tranquillity to Yemen that the Saudis seek to impose by force.
As casualties continue to mount, the Saudis need to ask themselves if their dislike for Iran is sufficient to cause this misery to a third country, and whether they are not unwittingly paving the way for their own appearance before the International Criminal Court. Two of the region’s financial and military powerhouses, Iran and Saudi Arabia, should end their age-long enmity and embrace one another, a step that could solve most of the flashpoints in the Middle East.
The Houthi rebels fighting the government of Hadi have grievances that will not be addressed with bombs and deaths; therefore the Saudis should halt their bombing raids and, along with the Iranians, facilitate an amicable settlement.  
A more responsible role is required of the U.S., not stoking the embers of the conflict and egging the parties on. The United Nations should play a leading role to, first of impose an immediate ceasefire, and then convene a meeting of all sides to the conflict to put a lasting solution.