AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Yemeni sources questioned the narrative of an Israeli regime media outlet that Washington had rejected Saudi Arabia's request to take command of a new operation against Yemeni armed forces, and believe that America will stand alongside Riyadh in any new escalation.
These sources, in interviews with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, emphasized that the movements of American officials in connection with Saudi officials indicate Washington's support for ground operations on Yemen's western coast.
Contrary to what the Israeli Channel Kan reported about America's rejection of Saudi Arabia's request to take command of new operations against Yemeni armed forces, Yemeni sources believe that any Saudi attack on Yemen cannot take place without American participation.
A knowledgeable political source in the city of Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, expressed doubt in an interview with Al-Akhbar about the Israeli narrative, stating that this narrative has been put forward within the framework of efforts to divert attention from America's obvious role in the aggression against Yemen or its planning for it in the next phase, and has no connection to any crisis between Washington and Riyadh.
This source emphasized that Yemen is monitoring all Saudi movements on internal fronts, especially the western coast front, which enjoys extensive attention from America and the Zionist regime.
Movements of American Officials in Yemen
According to this source, Neil Hope, the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Yemen, has held meetings and consultations with a number of members of the Presidential Leadership Council of the Aden government, which is supported by the Saudi-led coalition.
The most recent of these was a meeting with Sultan al-Aradah, the governor of Marib, who is backed by the Saudi-led coalition, during which recent military developments were also discussed.
This source also reported ongoing communication between Sean Newcomb, the US Embassy's military attaché, and commanders of various fronts of the Saudi-led coalition.
According to him, these movements have taken place alongside intensive meetings between Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, and Jamila Ali Raja, the ambassador appointed by the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council of the Aden government, with US Defense Department officials and a number of members of the US Congress in recent days.
This source believes that the sum of these movements indicates that any new aggression against Yemen will be carried out with American planning, support, and participation.
He also added that America remains committed to its defense obligations toward Saudi Arabia, as the interests of the two countries are intertwined.
Channel Kan's Israeli Narrative About America's Role
Previously, Roee Kais, the Arab affairs correspondent for Israel's Channel Kan, citing a source among opposition groups to the Ansarallah movement who is in contact with the American side, reported that Washington had informed Riyadh that it is prepared to support a military campaign against Yemeni armed forces but will not take command of it.
This report came at the same time as statements by a number of members of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council of the Aden government.
Among them, Abdullah al-Alimi told American media that planning is underway for an internal battle in Yemen with extensive Saudi support.
In this context, Israeli media also reported that the Yemen file was one of the most important topics discussed between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper in the middle of last month. This meeting took place during Cooper's visit to Riyadh.
America's Focus on Ground Operations in Western Yemen
According to this report, since the middle of last year, America has moved toward supporting ground operations against Yemeni armed forces, particularly in the coastal areas of western Yemen and the mountainous regions overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Among these areas, the mountain ranges west of Taiz have been mentioned.
Thus, Yemeni officials believe that the recent political and military movements between America and Saudi Arabia cannot be assessed separately from the possibility of escalating conflicts on Yemen's western fronts, and any new Riyadh operation against Yemeni armed forces, if it occurs, may be accompanied by direct or indirect American support and participation.
**************
End/ 345E
