AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Media reports of Riyadh's request from Washington and then London to provide military support to Saudi Arabia against Yemeni armed forces carry very heavy and strategic messages at the level of international relations, regional security, and the balance of power. This issue indicates a strategic shift in seeking extra-regional allies to exit military deadlocks and is a warning bell for the expansion of the scope of conflicts that, despite exorbitant arms costs, have so far yielded no tangible achievement for Saudi Arabia, and it now sees no way other than outsourcing the war to international powers.
The shift in the balance on the Yemen war scene suggests the possibility of a civil war turning into an international confrontation, and this raises the important question for political observers: with the possibility of British forces or support entering the battlefield, will Yemen turn from a regional crisis into a direct battlefield for world powers?
New Coalitions and the Changing Power Configuration in the Region
In this context, Dr. Wissam Al-Rimal Al-Shammari, a former military doctor, Saudi dissident, and founding member of the Federal Assembly for Saudi Arabia, emphasized in an interview, “After Israel and the United States failed to achieve their objectives in previous rounds, previously hidden issues came to light, and the region moved toward what is called a coalition of interests. After the failure of Netanyahu and Trump to realize their ambitions of giving Israel full authority to lead the region, four major powers emerged: Iran, Pakistan, India, and Turkey, and they formed coalitions with one another. The Mecca coalition is an example of this and represents a fleet of Turkey and Pakistan, in which Saudi Arabia is merely a passenger and nothing more.”
Al-Shammari added: On the contrary, if Iranian and Indian forces unite, it will not be surprising, because only one fleet can confront another fleet. The more important question is: who will be part of this hypothetical fleet? The United Arab Emirates is undoubtedly one of its passengers. The Shammar tribe in Saudi Arabia and their allies are the missing link and the most important element in changing the region's dynamics. Given their historical hostility with the Al Saud, it is completely natural for this tribe and their allies to be present in the Iranian fleet. Yemeni forces are also on Iran's side and, as a result, will be part of it if the Iranian-Indian fleet is formed.
The Erosion of Saudi Power and Riyadh's Reliance on Foreign Forces
He said: In the political and military dimension, the Saudi regime is strong domestically but has become fragile externally. Despite decades of arms deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars with Washington and equipping the Saudi army with the latest radar systems, drones, and F-15 fighter jets, why does Riyadh still need "foreign auxiliary forces" to confront Yemeni forces? Simply because the Saudi regime has begun to erode to the point that its weakness is clearly evident. However, it is very fortunate that the world has refrained from supporting Saudi freemen and their allies in liberating their country. The Saudi regime's confrontation with internal freemen will be inside the country, not outside it, as happens in Yemen. Therefore, the Saudi regime trembles merely at the mention of the name "freemen of the Shammar tribe," because this confrontation at that time will be an existential struggle in which truth will prevail over falsehood.
This Saudi dissident emphasized: Undoubtedly, international powers stand behind these four powers and the political and military coalition being formed in our region, and all are within the framework of a coalition of interests. Today the conflict is over maritime and land routes. Such issues are far more important than other issues, such as the nuclear issue. Experience has proven that the nuclear issue can be resolved politically through negotiations, while current experience shows the extreme sensitivity of these routes. Today, Iran's power, with the support of its international coalitions, controls the region's maritime routes.
Iran, India, and the UAE; Possible Axes of Future Coalitions
He added: I believe that Iran, the UAE, and India may reveal a new coalition in the future. The understanding between present and absent parties extends not only to maritime routes but also to land routes. We understand what position Russia, China, and America have on all these matters. Therefore, the main question is: where do Europe and Britain stand in what is happening in our region? Trump has challenged Europe's sovereignty and Britain's monarchy in a way that threatens the unity of both. On this basis, it is assumed that Britain and Europe, in turn, will not allow America to win in its battle against Iran in the region. Britain is also expected to support the Iran-Oman talks and agreements, alongside the Iran-UAE agreement under India's support umbrella.
Al-Shammari said: Saudi Arabia's failure in dealing with its neighbors has been proven. For whatever reason, the Saudi regime has problems with Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Yemen, and others. Can one imagine that the whole world is wrong and the Al Saud are right? The Saudi regime permits for itself what it forbids for others, and examples of this are numerous. America supports the Saudi regime, and what is needed is America's exit from the region. We Arabs and Iranians, whether we like it or not, are neighbors. We are obligated to reach an understanding. If the maritime routes belong to Iran, the land routes belong to the Arabs. We must share, but on one condition: there is no longer a place for the Al Saud. Every era has its men, and the era of the Al Saud has come to an end.
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