Avoiding the mistakes of the recent past.. Why are things going with the Houthis to no return?

Riyadh - Ofoq News - The current conditions in Yemen, the ongoing battles there, and the situation that has led to Saudi Arabia being subjected to daily, non-stop targeting by Houthi missiles supported by Iran, have prompted it to reconsider the mistakes of the recent past and try to save what can be saved.

These developments alerted the Saudi decision-maker to the importance of reconsidering the nature of the strategy currently being followed in Yemen, since late last December, specifically marginalizing the southerners and asking the UAE to leave Yemen after many years of joint work and mutual coordination.

The visit of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to the Emirates today, Sunday, translates into a quick Saudi attempt to remedy the major cost of the two allies’ estrangement in the Yemeni file, and the achievement of the Houthis and their successor, Iran, in significant gains.

Moment of no return

Regarding the mistakes committed by Saudi Arabia during the past months in Yemen, military analyst Brigadier General Khaled Al-Nasi confirms, in a post on his account on the

Al-Nasi added, "The Houthis are cross-border sectarian terrorist militias whose primary mission is to target Saudi Arabia, and any talk about a truce or peace with this group is to give it more time to obtain more military arsenal, which will be difficult for the Saudi side to deal with."

He continues in his analysis: "We have reached the moment of no return, and Saudi Arabia must continue to lead the battle until the Houthis are eliminated, because the threat today has changed and now threatens the entity of the Saudi state. This is my opinion as a follower of the military scene and does not necessarily mean my position on the Kingdom as a southern citizen who has been subjected to treachery and betrayal by it."

Military analyst Brigadier General Khaled Al-Nasi enumerates, in another publication, the grave mistakes committed by the Saudis in their leadership of the Yemeni scene since March 2015, and today they are paying the price for these catastrophic mistakes. Among the mistakes they committed, which many observers have spoken about for many years, is that they did not take into account the positions and interests of their partners and went to negotiate with the Houthis directly without notifications or consultation with the rest of the allies.

He added: "The Saudis have made concessions to the Houthis for many years, including recognizing them as a legitimate authority that will obtain constitutional legitimacy to dominate the country. They have sent the Saudi ambassador, Muhammad Al Jaber, to Sanaa, and this means Saudi recognition of their authority."

He points out, "Saudi Arabia is also committed to opening airports and ports, disbursing salaries to employees in the Houthi-controlled and reconstruction areas, and ensuring their access to a large portion of the country's resources. All of these Saudi commitments to the Houthis came at the expense of the partners within the framework of the Arab coalition, represented by the UAE, the allies on the ground, the Southern Transitional Council, the Southern Resistance Forces, and the only anti-Houthi military forces in the north, represented by the National Resistance Forces, led by Lieutenant General Tariq Saleh."

He concludes his analysis by saying: "Unfortunately, the management and decisions of the Saudis were wrong and disastrous. The Houthis, the Muslim Brotherhood, and their terrorist organizations benefited from it, and the rest of the parties lost because of it. Perhaps the one who loses the most and pays the price for these mistakes today is Saudi Arabia itself."

As for Dr. Najwa Al-Saeed, an analyst and specialist in government communication and digital diplomacy, she says via X: “Many are asking: Why was the UAE able to build a close partnership with a southern power carrying a clear political project while Saudi Arabia failed to make the Yemeni government a strong ally to help it reach a settlement with the Houthis? Is this due to a military or diplomatic failure or to the absence of a clear strategy for building a long-term political partnership? Or are there other reasons?”

A partnership of blood and destiny

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, received Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Minister of Defense, where they reviewed the regional developments taking place in the region and exchanged views on them in a way that contributes to consolidating security and stability and achieving lasting peace in the region.

Commenting on this reception, Lebanese journalist Nancy Nisreen Lakis considered, in a post on the

Political analyst Mohamed Taqi says, in a post on his account on the