US president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next month is widely expected to herald the return of the “maximum pressure” policy that his administration enforced on Iran during his first term.
The implications for Yemen can, therefore, also be expected to be wide-reaching. Indeed, after rebel groups toppled the Tehran-aligned government of Bashar Al Assad in Syria, the winds of change could blow there, too.
There is puzzlement over how little dynamics have changed in Yemen since the attacks mounted by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Israel led to retaliatory air strikes by the US and UK this year. Therefore, all eyes are on how Washington will focus on the country as part of a revamp in its approach to the Middle East.
Syria was such a vital plank for Iran’s regional policy of expanding its influence all the way to the Mediterranean that Tehran will be braced for the full blaze of Mr Trump’s headlights. That leaves the Houthi position in Yemen looking more and more like an intolerable outlier in the regional situation as it dramatically shifts.
In the decade since the collapse of the internationally recognised government in Sanaa, the Houthis have consolidated their footprint to rule the north of the country and about three quarters of the population. A de facto ceasefire has held between the Houthi lines and that of the government, which through its allies runs Aden and other parts of the south, including the port of Al Mukalla. Internal conflict in Yemen, in fact, dropped by about half last year.
But that tells only half the story. Not only has the Houthi leadership orchestrated attacks on Israel in solidarity with Palestinians living in Gaza, but it has posed a threat to the global economy by mounting a number of attacks on global shipping and disrupting trade through the Red Sea.
For example, as a result of the threat posed from Houthi missiles and drones on this lane, Egypt’s revenues from the Suez Canal are thought to have reduced by about $300 million a month this year. The attacks haven’t ceased, with two US warships coming under attack during their transit through the Bab Al Mandeb last month.
The US and its allies have restored a global terror designation on Ansar Allah, the Houthi movement’s official name, but that has had little real-world impact. The group’s propaganda operations and digital networks have received little or no disruption.
In other words, the efforts at containment are not working and are leading some Yemenis to argue that a much more comprehensive approach is needed to put the country on a better path.
The instability in the Red Sea has hurt food and fuel supplies to Aden more than it has the UN-supervised route to Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeidah. When Israel bombed the port in July, on a Saturday, it was receiving its first big shipment by Tuesday. The corridor for supplying the north from Djibouti has remained operational while shortages, not least caused by the operational and insurance costs of importing grain from Ukraine, ravage the south.
Calls for a more integrated approach that doesn’t just rely on air strikes and designations are being made to the Trump team. The internationally recognised government, for example, is being forced to make up its fuel deficit by buying from Houthi refineries with hard currency.
Officials in Aden are aghast that the UN agencies make subsistence payments to Houthi banks in US dollars, but these are then dispersed in local currency at a substantial conversion fee, which yields resources for their rivals. Similarly, Houthi control over the country’s mobile telecoms systems is also a substantial money spinner.
Tackling all these issues could be an essential part of a more comprehensive campaign of external and internal pressure on the Houthi leadership that could be presented to Washington in the coming weeks.
It would also make sense if there was some political reform in Yemen’s eight-member Presidential Leadership Council, which was set up when interim president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi stepped down two years ago. The council is neither very representative of the area that it governs, nor is it functioning daily.
A shake-up in those structures to produce something more effective is now overdue, for the people living in Houthi-controlled areas need to be able to see for themselves that the regions under government control are faring better. This would increase the pressure for a real political track.
Just as importantly, it would curb the aggression coming from the Houthis. There are those who argue against viewing the group as a proxy for Tehran – in that it has its own regional ambitions, agenda, web of relationships and resources. There is, therefore, a specific need to contain the globalisation of the Ansar Allah movement, including its procurement networks.
Decades of alliance-building by Iran in a string of Arab countries have dramatically come to a halt and slipped into reverse gear in recent months. How far this momentum carries on is the question on many a lip. It is unrealistic in the current conditions to think that the Yemeni stalemate will endure untouched.
UN-style management of the dreadful humanitarian outcomes of Yemen’s conflict and divisions has been for a long time the only alternative on the table.
The crisis in the Levant will inevitably be a top priority for the incoming Trump administration. And few can doubt the pressure that will indeed be directed towards Tehran. Houthi aggression must be dealt with, too.
It is inconceivable that with so much change across the region, Yemen’s deadlock will not be priority within this agenda.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting 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 when 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 led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%C2%A0profile
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
UNpaid bills:
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN budget in 2019
USA – $1.055 billion
Brazil – $143 million
Argentina – $52 million
Mexico – $36 million
Iran – $27 million
Israel – $18 million
Venezuela – $17 million
Korea – $10 million
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN peacekeeping operations in 2019
USA – $2.38 billion
Brazil – $287 million
Spain – $110 million
France – $103 million
Ukraine – $100 million
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
