(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall - Yemen's geostrategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea, along with the inherent weakness of its central regime, have made it an attractive target for subversion by external powers. In September, Shia rebels took over the capital city of Sana'a and the Al-Hudaydah port on the Red Sea. Iran has long been trying to take over the sea lanes surrounding the Arab world. It commands the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf and now is trying to seize the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. A member of the Iranian parliament who is close to Khamenei declared, "Three Arab capitals (Beirut, Damascus, and Baghdad) have already fallen into Iran's hands and belong to the Iranian Islamic Revolution." He suggested that Sana'a was the fourth capital. Iran views Yemen as a convenient staging ground for subversive activity against Saudi Arabia, its main religious-political rival in the Middle East.
2014-11-04 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive