US strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels send a warning message to Iran but will prolong civilian suffering, which the group will then exploit, officials told The National on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen late on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Iran-backed rebels stop their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The attacks killed "multiple" Houthi leaders and ensured Iran was "put on notice" to end its support for the rebel group, the White House said on Sunday.
The strikes "actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out", National Security Adviser Michael Waltz told ABC News. He told Fox News the US "just hit them with overwhelming force and put Iran on notice that enough is enough".
The US is exerting so-called maximum pressure on Iran and its proxies in the region. Mr Trump has increased sanctions on Tehran while trying to convince the regime to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
“The main message is for Iran, President Trump wants to tell them he can target them next. As he likes to say, ‘negotiation through strength’,” Baraa Shiban, a Yemen expert and associate fellow at the Rusi defence think tank, told The National. “It looks, from the intensity of the strikes, like this operation will continue, which will degrade their [the Houthis] capabilities, similar to what happened with Hezbollah in Lebanon."
The strikes, which killed at least 31 people, came shortly after the Yemeni rebels said they would resume their attacks on Red Sea shipping following Israel’s blockade on Gaza. There have been no reports of Houthis attacking international ships since.
Mr Trump is trying to be "proactive and strike the Houthis, rather than wait until they attack,” Mr Shiban said.
These attacks, which caught the Houthis by surprise, are in stark contrast to previous strikes by the administration of Joe Biden that were expected.
"I was completely surprised to see the level of accuracy of these targets," said Fatima Alasrar, a senior policy analyst at the Washington Centre for Yemeni Studies. "It indicates a real knowledge of sites that the Houthis have hidden deeply within civilian areas, and the fact that the United States can target it with such precision at this very moment just signifies to the Houthis that the US is watching, and that they know exactly what the Houthis are up to."
Ms Alasrar told The National that the strikes were reminiscent of when Israel detonated the pagers of thousands of Hezbollah fighters.
“This message got heard loud and clear, and was really the only response of a strong nation that won't allow proxies to run the region," she said.
A statement by Sanaa’s municipality and local authorities, seen by The National, called on civilians to flee Houthi-held areas and seek safety. “These developments that are targeting the Houthis will have a direct effect to further exacerbate the suffering of the Yemeni people,” it said. “The continuation of these escalations will bring further suffering to Yemen, and put it at the forefront of regional and international escalation."
In response to Washington’s attacks, the rebels' political bureau said US “aggression” would not go unanswered, with escalation met with escalation.
Authorities called on civilians to follow government guidelines and ignore opposition groups that “will attempt to cause chaos throughout the country”.
A Yemen-government official said authorities welcomed the move by Mr Trump to exert pressure on the Houthis and in turn send a warning to Iran to stop its support for proxies.
Mr Trump's "decisive approach is exactly what was needed to confront the Houthis", he said on condition of remaining anonymous. "Appeasement has only emboldened them. Only strength can bring stability and not concessions. The strikes are also a message to Iran to halt its actions and meddling in other states' affairs."
However, while the attacks focus on military installations and equipment, as well as draining Houthi resources, the group has consistently demonstrated its ability to adapt and recover, said Osamah Al Rawhani, Yemen expert and non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programmes.
"Beyond their direct impact on the Houthis, these air strikes deeply affect civilians, as Houthi-controlled territory represents more than 60 per cent of Yemen’s population," he told The National. "This instils fear and increases resentment towards the United States from citizens who do not support the Houthis.
The attacks must have a "comprehensive approach that disrupts weapons and parts-smuggling from Iran, and addresses the political and economic drivers empowering the Houthis," he said "This week’s bombings risk prolonging the suffering of Yemenis."
Iran-backed Hezbollah condemned the large-scale military strikes, in a statement on Sunday.
Washington redesignated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation this month, reversing a Joe Biden-era policy.
The attacks also came days after Mr Trump sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offering to hold talks on Tehran's nuclear programme. Mr Khamenei rejected the proposed negotiations, saying it letter was aimed at "deceiving public opinion" and increasing pressure on Iran.
Willy Lowry contributed to this report from Washington
ALL THE RESULTS
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.
Catch 74kg
Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.
Strawweight (Female)
Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.
Lightweight
Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
FORSPOKEN
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Starfield
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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Company%20profile
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
More on Quran memorisation:
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
England v South Africa schedule:
- First Test: At Lord's, England won by 219 runs
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Fixtures (all times UAE)
Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)
Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
