Above photo: A gathering aimed at mobilizing AnsarAllah fighters into battlefronts across Yemen. Hani Mohammed / AP.
The goal is not to repel or kill enemy soldiers but to capture them,” said Ali Mohammed Hassan, his voice steady as he adjusted the strap of his AK-47. Dressed in the traditional Tahami uniform, grenades hanging from his belt and ammunition at the ready, Hassan spoke with the confidence of someone deeply familiar with the terrain. “I know this land. That is our advantage.”
Hassan recently joined a cadre of armed residents in a military drill along the coastal areas of eastern Hodeidah Governorate. The exercise, rooted in a mix of strategy and necessity, reflected growing local fears of an impending foreign incursion.
Dozens of local military drills have been held across Yemen’s western regions in recent weeks, particularly in the coastal areas, as residents brace themselves for what they believe is an imminent invasion led by the United States. “We prepare to face any bad scenarios, such as the army’s inability to confront the invading forces or an airdrop by enemy paratroopers that may attempt to exploit large areas inside the country,” said Hassan. Hassan’s words reflect the mounting fear gripping communities in the wake of recent threats directed at Yemen’s government by the United States.
These grassroots maneuvers, marked by participation from local residents, align with broader and more complex drills conducted by Yemeni military forces. Over the past week, the Naval Forces and Coastal Defense units have executed tactical exercises under the name “To Make Your Faces Disgraced.” The operations simulated the defense against a hypothetical American attack, complete with four distinct waves of assaults.
Yemeni naval forces have intensified their readiness with a series of five large-scale maneuvers that spanned regional waters, coastal areas, urban streets, and even residential neighborhoods. These exercises, which simulated violent clashes, underscore the escalating seriousness of perceived threats, particularly as reinforcements arrive in Mokha—a strategic area under the control of Saudi coalition allies. Compounding the tension is a surge in recruitment activity in southern Yemen by forces that have openly expressed a willingness to normalize relations with Israel.
The maneuvers showcased an array of advanced weaponry, including drones, sea and air missiles, torpedoes, and naval mines, alongside tanks, anti-armor systems, and other cutting-edge equipment. Hypothetical scenarios included strikes on battleships, submarines, minesweepers, and amphibious assaults. Troops also engaged in simulated clashes along Hodeidah’s shores, using urban warfare tactics such as clearing occupied buildings, ambushing armored vehicles, and capturing hypothetical American soldiers. These exercises even included the evacuation of wounded personnel and the detonation of landmines under combat-like conditions.
In a rare move, military media released only 45 minutes of footage from the drills, hinting at the secrecy surrounding the deployment of new weapons, including home-grown autonomous underwater vehicles. Key technologies like air defenses, ballistic missiles, anti-ship weaponry, and systems designed to counter advanced aircraft and destroyers remained classified. The training also prepared for unconventional scenarios, such as countering a scorched-earth strategy that might involve fire belts created by modern warships and aircraft.
During a televised address on Thursday, Abdulmalik AlHouthi, leader of Ansar Allah, announced that over half a million fighters had been mobilized and trained, with many completing military courses. AlHouthi also revealed that Yemen had conducted 2,900 maneuvers, marches, and military displays in preparation for potential conflicts.
US Ultimatum Raises Stakes
In a development that could spell disaster for millions of Yemenis, Sanaa has received an ultimatum: halt military operations targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea or face an occupation of Hodeidah. As the primary entry point for humanitarian aid and economic goods into Yemen, Hodeidah is a lifeline for the country’s war-stricken population. Renewed conflict in the city threatens to unravel the fragile calm brought by a United Nations-brokered truce following more than eight years of devastating war.
The U.S. threats against the Sanaa government come alongside heightened diplomatic activity. U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin has reportedly held intensive discussions with key opponents of Ansar Allah, including Rashad al-Alimi, Tariq Afash, and Aidaroos Al-Zubaidi. Sources familiar with the matter told MintPress News that these meetings are part of a broader U.S. plan to destabilize Yemen’s internal security and ultimately seize control of Hodeidah. The justification? Ensuring the security of international navigation and countering Ansar Allah’s alleged threat to Israeli vessels.
In response, the Sanaa government, Ansar Allah, and the Yemeni army have flatly rejected the U.S. demands. Reaffirming their stance, they declared that operations against Israeli or affiliated ships would persist until the aggression against Gaza and Lebanon came to an end.
In a recent statement, Jamal Amer, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Sanaa government, asserted that the U.S. is actively seeking to undermine Sanaa. He claimed that, upon failing in its efforts, the U.S. began leaking information about a potential invasion of Hodeidah to support Israel and pressure Yemen’s leadership to cease its support for Gaza. Amer warned that any such action would result in a conflict surpassing the Vietnam War in severity for U.S. forces, emphasizing that “free people do not kneel” and that the American regime does not hold divine authority.
Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the leader of Ansar Allah, responded to escalating threats by declaring, “We are on a practical path, in which we prepare for any level of escalation that America and Israel may resort to.” He also cautioned the Saudi coalition against further entanglement in Yemen. Echoing this sentiment, al-Houthi stated, “The Yemeni Armed Forces support our Arab brothers in Gaza and Lebanon, and any other movement the armed forces will face.” He warned that confrontations would not be confined to mercenary forces but could extend to Saudi Arabia and the UAE if further provocations occur.
These warnings follow an unprecedented escalation by Washington and London against Yemen, including participation in Israeli attacks on power stations in Hodeidah. U.S. warplanes recently struck Sana’a, Sa’ada, and Hodeidah, deploying B-2 stealth bombers for the first time. A U.S. defense official confirmed that the bombers targeted five underground weapons storage sites, showcasing their capability to penetrate heavily defended airspace.
Sources cited by MintPress News suggest that recent U.S. airstrikes in Yemen targeted remote mountain areas, a small communications network in Saada, and abandoned military camps—falling short of hitting weapon depots or making any significant dent in Yemen’s military arsenal. These strikes, conducted by the B-2 stealth bomber, are particularly striking, as they underscore the mounting difficulties faced by the U.S. in countering Yemen’s increasingly formidable air defense systems.
Over the past year, Yemeni forces have downed at least 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones, each costing approximately $32 million. This alone amounts to more than $350 million in taxpayer-funded losses. Similarly, the cost of defending Israeli territory against Yemeni-launched projectiles has added to the mounting financial strain. Each missile from the U.S.-supplied THAAD and Patriot air defense systems, often priced between $2 million and $4 million apiece, has contributed billions of dollars in expenditures, with American taxpayers footing the bill. The U.S. naval presence near Yemen, including deployments such as the USS Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and guided missile destroyers, further inflates this cost. Sustaining this naval operation to patrol the Red Sea and defend Israel runs into millions per day.
Tensions have not been limited to aerial clashes either. Earlier this year, the Red Sea was the backdrop for a dramatic and violent confrontation between Yemeni Coastal Defense Forces and a commando squad believed to include American mercenaries and Israeli soldiers. The elite team attempted to liberate the Galaxy, an Israeli ship seized by Yemen’s navy near Hodeidah. Despite heavy fighting that left dozens of soldiers dead, the mission ultimately failed, leaving the Galaxy in Yemeni hands. The episode serves as a grim preview of the kind of direct confrontations that could unfold along Yemen’s coast should an American invasion move ahead.
Trump Policies Stoke Defiance
As tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, Yemen has emerged as an unexpected flashpoint, particularly following the election of Donald Trump, whose policies have already emboldened both Saudi Arabia and Israel. Trump’s previous administration, deeply aligned with Israeli interests and the Saudi-led coalition, intensified the militarization of the region under the guise of countering perceived threats from Yemen’s Ansar Allah.
The consequences of these policies were stark. Yemeni forces, undeterred by U.S. and Israeli threats, continued their operations in the Red and Arabian Seas and even targeted Israel’s Nevatim Air Base with a hypersonic missile. The downing of yet another MQ-9 Reaper drone—valued at over $32 million and the 12th of its kind lost since the assault on Gaza—symbolized a humiliating blow to the U.S. military’s efforts to contain Yemen’s growing capabilities.
Despite the Trump administration’s claims of advancing peace in the region, Yemenis mobilized in defiance. In cities like Hodeidah, Hajjah, and Sanaa, massive demonstrations condemned U.S. and Saudi adventurism, asserting solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon. Protesters openly warned that any military escalation would backfire, framing Trump’s policies as exacerbating suffering rather than resolving conflicts.
For many Yemenis, the prospect of an expanded war under a second Trump’s presidency seems inevitable but not insurmountable. But their chants, speeches, and massive protests reflect a readiness for resistance, rejecting what they perceived as attempts to liquidate Palestine and halt Yemen’s role in supporting its struggle. Yet instead of deterring Yemen’s operations, these threats galvanized a population already hardened by years of war and resilient against foreign intervention.
There is no doubt that a palpable tension has gripped Yemen since the election of President Donald Trump was announced, yet millions came out on Friday in Hodeidah, Hajjah and Sanaa, and other cities to warn against any adventure that Washington or Saudi Arabia might undertake. Demonstrators filling the streets of Yemen declared unwavering solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon, undeterred by mounting threats. They emphasized their intimate familiarity with war and suffering, framing any potential new conflict as not only inevitable but profoundly sacred and morally justified.