** A storm in the Red Sea: Yemen to the test of a new climbing of conflict **
On March 15, 2025 is a date that will mark a turning point in the tumultuous landscape of the Middle East, when the United States, under the presidency of Donald Trump, decided to initiate air strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. What could pass for a simple military maneuver is part of a complex geopolitical framework, where regional tensions mix, human concerns and economic issues. The eyes of the whole world are riveted on Sanaa, ready to measure the repercussions of this aggression on the fragile regional balance.
The American strikes were justified by the need to respond to the repeated attacks carried out by the Houthis against commercial ships, considered as legitimate targets with regard to their supposed link with Israel. The rebels, which control large areas of Yemen, have seen it a provocation and promise to respond to it with climbing acts. This cycle of violence revives the trauma of a country already devastated by a civil war which has lasted for several years and which caused the death of tens of thousands of people.
### A war by proxy
The situation in Yemen is often presented as a proxy war, where Iran supports Houthis in the face of a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and supported by the United States. This dynamic accentuates the rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh, two powers who compete for influence in a key region. The American strikes on Sanaa also raise the question of national sovereignty and the consequences on civilians. The Houthi authorities claim that the strikes have caused the death of nine civilians, tragically illustrating human pain that often accompanies armed conflicts.
However, beyond human losses, these strikes can exacerbate wider tensions. Indeed, Houthi attacks on commercial ships have impacted not only trade in the Red Sea, but also the perception of the Middle East as a risk area for international maritime transport. In 2024, around 10% of the world trade passed through the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Any disturbance in this region could have global economic repercussions, resulting in a soaring oil prices and disturbing supply chains.
### A conflict at the crossroads
To understand the current climbing of tensions in Yemen, it is crucial to analyze American decisions in a global context. Since the start of the Trump administration, foreign policy has often been marked by military actions rather than diplomacy. The designation of Houthis as a terrorist organization is part of an approach that exacerbates tensions instead of promoting constructive dialogue. Far from the clichés of “normalization” of relations in the Middle East, Washington’s decisions seem to feed the cycle of violence.
As the Middle East analyst in Fatshimetrie.org points out, the region is immersed in sustainable instability which undermines the functioning of humanitarian systems. The American strikes, while seeking to dissuade the attacks of the Houthis, pose a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the civilian populations already affected by months of conflicts.
### to an uncertain future
It is difficult to imagine a peaceful resolution to this conflict in the near future. Even though the United States intensified its strikes against Houthis, Trump’s promise to use “overwhelming lethal force” does not seem to bring a lasting solution. The rebels, supported by Iran, have already shown their resilience to external forces and could intensify their operations.
The social and economic consequences of this war, exacerbated by American military intervention, should not be underestimated. According to projections, Yemen could reach an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, where 23 million people may need humanitarian aid by the end of the year.
World leaders must establish a platform for dialogue and peace to resolve a conflict whose ravages are felt far beyond the borders of Yemen. The approach of the international community, supported by diplomatic solutions, is essential to inaugurate an era of lasting peace and preserve the lives of the millions of Yemeni civilians taken in this storm of violence.
The upheavals in Sanaa represent only one of the many challenges to be met in a fractured Middle East where cooperation, and not confrontation, could ultimately offer a horizon of peace and prosperity.