Saudi-led coalition strikes rebels in Yemen, inflaming tensions in region

Greg Botelho Saeed Ahmed
By Greg Botelho and Saeed Ahmed, CNN
Updated 8:57 PM EDT, Thu March 26, 2015
Unrest in Yemen
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TOPSHOT - A photo taken on March 18, 2018, shows a Yemeni child looking out at buildings that were damaged in an air strike in the southern Yemeni city of Taez. / AFP PHOTO / Ahmad AL-BASHA (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-BASHA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Story highlights

NEW: Saudi ambassador says Iran is interfering in Yemen, other countries

Saudi adviser says the coalition controls the country's airspace

Houthi leader says rebels will escalate response if airstrikes continue, make Yemen a grave for Saudis

CNN  — 

Saudi and allied warplanes struck rebels in Yemen on Thursday, with Saudi Arabia threatening to send ground troops and inserting itself into its southern neighbor’s civil war, potentially opening up a broader sectarian conflict in the Middle East.

The swift and sudden action involved 100 Saudi jets, 30 from the United Arab Emirates, 15 each from Kuwait and Bahrain, 10 from Qatar, and a handful from Jordan, Morocco and Sudan, plus naval help from Pakistan and Egypt, according to a Saudi adviser.

The Egyptian state news agency on Thursday quoted Egypt’s Foreign Ministry as saying Egypt’s support also could involve ground forces.

What do those countries have in common? They’re all predominantly Sunni Muslim – in contrast to the Houthi rebels, Shiite Muslims who have taken over Yemen’s capital of Sanaa and on Wednesday captured parts of its second-largest city, Aden. The Saudis consider the Houthis proxies for the Shiite government of Iran and fear another Shiite-dominated state in the region.

“What they do not want is an Iranian-run state on their southern border,” CNN military analyst Lt. Col. Rick Francona said of the Saudis.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 25: Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir annouonces that Saudi Arabia is conducting military air strikes in Yemen during a news conference at the Saudi Arabian Embassy March 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. Working with Gulf Cooperation Council allies, Saudi Arabia is responding to a request by Yemen President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's to help preserve the "legitimate government" against the Houti insurrection. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 25: Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir annouonces that Saudi Arabia is conducting military air strikes in Yemen during a news conference at the Saudi Arabian Embassy March 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. Working with Gulf Cooperation Council allies, Saudi Arabia is responding to a request by Yemen President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's to help preserve the "legitimate government" against the Houti insurrection. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Saudis strike to defend 'legitimate government' of Yemen

But U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday did tell foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman that the United States commends the military action and is supporting it through intelligence sharing, targeting assistance and logistical support, according to a senior State Department official.

How did Yemen get to this place?

Iran upset, Houthis defiant

Supreme leader Al Houthi spoke live Thursday night in Yemen on al-Masirah TV, saying, “If any army tries to invade our country, we will prove that Yemen will be a grave for those who invade us.”

He added, “We call on the invaders to stop the attacks and if the airstrikes do not end then we will escalate in the needed manner.”

Iran denounced the military intervention. Marzieh Afkham, a spokeswoman for the country’s Foreign Ministry, said the operation will throw an already complicated situation into further turmoil and disrupt chances at a peaceful resolution to Yemen’s months-long internal strife. It also won’t help a region already facing terrorist threats from groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, she said.

“This is a dangerous action against international responsibilities to respect countries’ national sovereignty,” Afkham said, according to a report in Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Iraq – 60% of whose citizens are Shiite, with about 20% being Sunnis – offered similar, albeit a bit more muted opposition to what its Foreign Ministry called “the military interference of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” which is made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

“We call on the Arab states to live up to their role to support national dialogue (that includes) all political forces to find a political solution for the crisis,” the Iraqi ministry said.

The Houthis are a minority group that has emerged as the most powerful player in Yemen.

In addition to airstrikes, the Saudi adviser said 150,000 troops could take part in an operation in Yemen.

Targets in Sanaa, other Yemeni cities pounded

Just a day in, the coalition airstrikes are already costing the Houthis.

Hundreds of explosions ripped through Sanaa overnight, said journalist Hakim Almasmari, who is staying in the capital. The Health Ministry reported 18 dead and 24 wounded in Sanaa, the Houthi-run Saba news agency said.

While Sanaa was a focus – airstrikes destroyed the Houthis’ combat and control operations there, the Saudi adviser said – it wasn’t the only place struck. Compounds and military installations in Saada and Taiz also were targeted.

By Thursday afternoon, the Saudis controlled Yemeni airspace, the adviser said, and the military threatened to destroy any naval ships trying to enter Yemeni ports.

The military operation, dubbed al-Hazm Storm, was launched after the Houthis rebuffed an initiative by the Gulf Cooperation Council, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said in a speech Thursday. It was done in accord with a joint Arab defense treaty, al-Arabi said.

Specifically, the strikes aim to support Hadi, who was ousted in January after talks with the Houthis faltered, but still claims to be Yemen’s rightful leader.

“We are determined to protect the legitimate government of Yemen,” said Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, in announcing the beginning of the military campaign. “Having Yemen fail cannot be an option for us or for our coalition partners.”

Why is Saudi Arabia bombing Yemen?

Jubeir told CNN’s “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer” that Saudi Arabia was concerned that the Houthis had control over Yemen’s armed forces ballistic missiles and air force, and the fact that Iran backs the Houthis was troubling.

“This is really a war to defend the legitimate government of Yemen and protect the Yemeni people from takeover by a radical militant group aligned with Iran and Hezbollah,” he said.

American military commanders said they didn’t know about Saudi Arabia’s action until the last minute.

“We have been discussing this matter with the United States in principle for many months,” Jubeir said. “We have been discussing this matter in more detail as the time approached and the final decision to take action didn’t really happen until the last minute, because of circumstances in Yemen.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Thursday proposed a joint Arab military “to deal with these challenges.”

At least one major player in Yemen besides the Houthis – the General People’s Congress, which is the party of longtime leader Ali Abdullah Saleh – thinks the Saudis and their partners should stay out.

In just a few weeks’ time, good relations with neighbors have become a matter of survival for Yemen President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.

“The (party) expresses its rejection of the attack on the Republic of Yemen and the capital, Sanaa, considering what (is) happening is an internal affair,” the GPC said. “… The General People’s Congress (calls on all parties) to return to and accelerate the completion of a national, historic agreement that … maintains unity and democracy.”

Officials: Deposed President has left Yemen

Meanwhile, the last person to be elected president of Yemen – even if he was the only one on the ballot – is out of the country and will soon be headed to Egypt to petition Arab officials, according to Yemeni officials.

The location of Hadi had been a mystery for days, with conflicting reports about whether he’d left Yemen and where he’d gone.

Saudi Arabia’s state news agency, SPA, reported that Hadi arrived Thursday in Riyadh, where he met with the Saudi defense minister and intelligence chief.

But two Yemeni officials close to Hadi said that the deposed president is in Oman. They said that his next stop, on Friday, will be an Arab League summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Meanwhile, some 3,000 to 5,000 troops from the Saudi-led coalition are expected to reach Aden, the Yemeni city that was Hadi’s last known location, in the next three days, according to the officials.

Their aim is to make that port city safe enough for Hadi to return after the Arab League summit.

Whether the rest of Yemen will be secure at that point is another matter. Unfortunately, there has been little in the last few months to inspire optimism that peace is around the corner.

Opinion: Why Yemen has come undone

The sky over Sanaa, Yemen, is illuminated by anti-aircraft fire during a Saudi-led airstrike on Friday, April 17. The coalition's warplanes have been carrying out strikes against Houthi rebels since President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi fled the country in late March.
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The sky over Sanaa, Yemen, is illuminated by anti-aircraft fire during a Saudi-led airstrike on Friday, April 17. The coalition's warplanes have been carrying out strikes against Houthi rebels since President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi fled the country in late March.
A Yemeni boy holds a rifle as Houthi supporters attend a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, April 5, protesting airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels.
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A Yemeni boy holds a rifle as Houthi supporters attend a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, April 5, protesting airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels.
Yemenis dig graves on Saturday, April 4, to bury the victims of a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the village of Bani Matar, Yemen.
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Yemenis dig graves on Saturday, April 4, to bury the victims of a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the village of Bani Matar, Yemen.
Yemenis search for survivors in the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes on April 4 in a village near Sanaa.
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Yemenis search for survivors in the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes on April 4 in a village near Sanaa.
Central Sanaa is covered in dust on Friday, April 3. Airstrikes have turned the bustling capital of Yemen into a ghost town.
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A Yemeni man loads a TV set into a van as he prepares to flee Sanaa on Thursday, April 2.
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A Yemeni man loads a TV set into a van as he prepares to flee Sanaa on Thursday, April 2.
Militiamen loyal to Hadi take positions on a street in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday, April 2. Houthi rebels seized the presidential palace in Aden, a neutral security official and two Houthi commanders in Aden told CNN. The Houthis are Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country. The Sunni Saudis consider the Houthis proxies for the Shiite government of Iran and fear another Shiite-dominated state in the region.
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Militiamen loyal to Hadi take positions on a street in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday, April 2. Houthi rebels seized the presidential palace in Aden, a neutral security official and two Houthi commanders in Aden told CNN. The Houthis are Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country. The Sunni Saudis consider the Houthis proxies for the Shiite government of Iran and fear another Shiite-dominated state in the region.
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Buildings burn at the Jabal al-Hadid military camp in Aden on Saturday, March 28. Yemeni military officials said an explosion rocked the camp that houses a weapons depot, killing and wounding several people. The camp reportedly had been taken by security forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Some of the forces aligned with the Houthis are also loyal to Saleh, who resigned in 2012 after months of Arab Spring protests.
Yemeni supporters of the Houthi movement attend a demonstration against Saudi military operations Thursday, March 26, in Sanaa.
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Yemeni supporters of the Houthi movement attend a demonstration against Saudi military operations Thursday, March 26, in Sanaa.
People search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by airstrikes near the Sanaa Airport on March 26.
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Members of Yemen's General People's Committee deploy in Aden, Yemen, on Wednesday, March 25. The militiamen are loyal to Hadi.
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Members of Yemen's General People's Committee deploy in Aden, Yemen, on Wednesday, March 25. The militiamen are loyal to Hadi.
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Medics treat an anti-Houthi protester who was injured during clashes with pro-Houthi police in Taiz on March 24.
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Houthi supporters in Sanaa deploy giant national flags Wednesday, March 18, during a demonstration to mark the fourth anniversary of the "Friday of Dignity" attack. In 2011, forces loyal to Saleh <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/15/world/meast/yemen-unrest/" target="_blank">opened fire on protesters</a> who had gathered in Sanaa to demand the ouster of Saleh and his regime.
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Houthi supporters in Sanaa deploy giant national flags Wednesday, March 18, during a demonstration to mark the fourth anniversary of the "Friday of Dignity" attack. In 2011, forces loyal to Saleh opened fire on protesters who had gathered in Sanaa to demand the ouster of Saleh and his regime.
Supporters of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the son of the former President, wave banners and shout slogans during a demonstration in Sanaa on Tuesday, March 10. The demonstrators were demanding presidential elections be held and that the younger Saleh run for office.
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Supporters of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the son of the former President, wave banners and shout slogans during a demonstration in Sanaa on Tuesday, March 10. The demonstrators were demanding presidential elections be held and that the younger Saleh run for office.
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MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP/Getty Images
A child raises his fist during a rally by Houthi supporters in Sanaa on Friday, March 6.
Thousands of armed Yemeni tribal members gather in the southern province of Shabwa on Monday, February 23.
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Houthi fighters guard the gate of the presidential palace where a bomb went off and wounded three people in Sanaa on Saturday, February 7.
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Houthi fighters guard the gate of the presidential palace where a bomb went off and wounded three people in Sanaa on Saturday, February 7.
Yemeni soldiers guard the presidential palace in Sanaa on Friday, February 6.
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Yemeni soldiers guard the presidential palace in Sanaa on Friday, February 6.
Members of the Houthi movement and their allies attend a meeting in the Yemeni capital on Sunday, February 1.
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MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP/Getty Images
Members of the Houthi movement and their allies attend a meeting in the Yemeni capital on Sunday, February 1.
Supporters of the separatist Southern Movement flash the victory sign after they seized police security checkpoints on Saturday, January 24, in Ataq, the capital of the Shabwa province in Yemen. Policemen were told to give up their weapons and return to their bases before the militiamen raised flags of the formerly independent South Yemen at the checkpoints.
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Stringer/AFP/Getty Images
Supporters of the separatist Southern Movement flash the victory sign after they seized police security checkpoints on Saturday, January 24, in Ataq, the capital of the Shabwa province in Yemen. Policemen were told to give up their weapons and return to their bases before the militiamen raised flags of the formerly independent South Yemen at the checkpoints.
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Photos: Unrest in Yemen
MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP/Getty Images
Houthi rebels fight with Yemeni protesters during a rally in Sanaa on January 24. Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanaa in the largest demonstration against Houthis since the Shiite militiamen overran the capital in September.
On Friday, January 23, Houthis carry coffins of those killed during recent clashes with presidential guard forces in Sanaa.
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On Friday, January 23, Houthis carry coffins of those killed during recent clashes with presidential guard forces in Sanaa.
A Houthi militiaman sits near a tank near the presidential palace in Sanaa on Thursday, January 22.
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A Houthi militiaman sits near a tank near the presidential palace in Sanaa on Thursday, January 22.
Houthi men wearing army uniforms stand guard on a street leading to the presidential palace in Sanaa on Wednesday, January 21.
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Houthi men wearing army uniforms stand guard on a street leading to the presidential palace in Sanaa on Wednesday, January 21.
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A wounded man rests at a hospital in Sanaa on January 21. He was reportedly injured in fierce clashes the previous day.
A tank is stationed in front of the Sanaa house of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi on January 21.
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A tank is stationed in front of the Sanaa house of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi on January 21.
A Houthi rebel mans a checkpoint near the presidential palace on January 21.
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A Houthi rebel mans a checkpoint near the presidential palace on January 21.
A man walks inside a heavily damaged house near the presidential palace on Tuesday, January 20.
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A man walks inside a heavily damaged house near the presidential palace on Tuesday, January 20.
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A woman walks past closed shops in Sanaa on January 20.
An armed member of the Houthi movement stands guard in the streets of Sanaa on January 20.
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An armed member of the Houthi movement stands guard in the streets of Sanaa on January 20.
A man surveys his damaged home in Sanaa on January 20.
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A man surveys his damaged home in Sanaa on January 20.
Houthis inspect a damaged mosque in Sanaa on January 20.
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Houthis inspect a damaged mosque in Sanaa on January 20.
Houthi men raise their weapons during clashes near the presidential palace on Monday, January 19.
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Houthi men raise their weapons during clashes near the presidential palace on Monday, January 19.
Smoke and flames rise in Sanaa during heavy clashes between presidential guards and Houthi rebels on January 19.
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Smoke and flames rise in Sanaa during heavy clashes between presidential guards and Houthi rebels on January 19.
Tribal soldiers protecting the city from Houthi rebels stand guard at the city borders in Marib, Yemen, on January 19.
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Tribal soldiers protecting the city from Houthi rebels stand guard at the city borders in Marib, Yemen, on January 19.
Houthi men guard a Sanaa street on January 19.
Photos: Unrest in Yemen
Hani Mohammed/AP
Houthi men guard a Sanaa street on January 19.

CNN’s Elise Labott, Becky Anderson, Nick Paton Walsh, Michael Pearson, Anas Hamdan, Salma Abdelaziz and Mustafa al-Arab contributed to this report.