From Regime Change to a Single Sentence: The Irony and Impending Failure of Trump’s Iran Strategy

From Regime Change to a Single Sentence: The Irony and Impending Failure of Trump’s Iran Strategy

    Sunday, September 13, 2026   No comments

When the current administration first set its sights on Iran, the rhetoric was defined by maximalist, almost imperial ambitions. The stated goals were uncompromising: the unconditional surrender of the Iranian government, outright regime change, total subjugation, and explicit control over Iranian oil—mirroring the administration's frequent claims regarding control over Venezuelan oil.

Today, however, the reality on the ground has rendered those grandiose objectives clearly unachievable. In response, the administration’s sprawling foreign policy has been reduced to a single, repetitive talking point. When pressed by the media on any of these unmet initial goals, Donald Trump now offers the exact same one-sentence answer: "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."

The Absurdity of the Deflection: Dodging Domestic Disasters

This reduction to a single phrase has transcended foreign policy; it has become a reflexive, almost comical deflection tactic used to dodge accountability on every conceivable topic. The ridiculousness of this approach is on full display in the administration's press interactions, where the phrase is deployed as a universal shield against any line of questioning.

For purposes of illustration, if you were to ask the President if he played golf over the weekend, and the answer is likely to be, "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon." Note that it’s a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for a round of golf, and the response remains, "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon." Ask about the diplomatic logistics of hosting the upcoming G-20 summit: "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon." Even if a reporter simply walks up and wishes him a happy birthday, the response is a deadpan, "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."

While this surreal repetition plays like a political comedy, it serves a very serious and desperate purpose: it is a smokescreen. The administration is aggressively trying to divert public attention away from the catastrophic domestic and global economic fallout of this war.

By constantly hammering this single talking point, Trump attempts to change the subject away from the closed Strait of Hormuz. He uses it to ignore the skyrocketing gas prices at the pump and the surging cost of diesel. He relies on this deflection because he has no answer for the rampant inflation directly triggered by his war. Most importantly, he repeats this phrase to avoid explaining why the cost of food is soaring—because the American agricultural and retail supply chains rely heavily on trucking, and the diesel required to transport that food has become prohibitively expensive. The single sentence is a desperate attempt to mask the reality of closed waterways and empty wallets with the illusion of a singular, unyielding foreign policy victory.

The Irony of a Crumbling "Victory"

Beyond the domestic distraction, the profound irony of this geopolitical pivot is that this claimed "success" on the nuclear file was not achieved through American military or diplomatic dominance. It remains true only because Iran itself, through a religious decree (fatwa), declared it to be the case.

Even more ironically, the foundation of this claimed victory is crumbling under the weight of the administration's own actions. The religious leader who originally issued the fatwa forbidding nuclear weapons was killed by the joint actions of Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. By eliminating the very figure who guaranteed the decree, and by continually issuing unhinged threats of annihilation against the Iranian people, the administration is actively providing the catalyst for that fatwa to be rescinded.

This contradiction is highlighted by Trump’s own past statements. He previously mused that if Iran actually possessed a nuclear weapon, he wouldn't bomb them; he would simply "call their leaders to ask how are you doing." Yet, by engaging in the very bombing and existential threats he once dismissed, his current strategy is pushing Tehran toward the exact outcome he claims to have prevented.

Strategic Ambiguity and the Looming Treaty Collapse

Many geopolitical analysts have pointed to this glaring possibility, warning that the administration's aggressive posture—and the referral of the issue to the UN Security Council (UNSC)—could push Iran to leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entirely.

This strategic ambiguity was on full display recently when Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in India, tore into US claims regarding the country's nuclear program.

‘All lies’

Iran is a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and allowed daily monitoring of its nuclear activity, says the Iranian President on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

He accuses the US of peddling “propaganda,” and calls claims that Iran’s nuclear program justified the war unleashed on it as blatant “lies.”

 “If we were seeking nuclear weapons, we wouldn’t have become a member of the NPT. Now they are bringing about alibis and pretexts to attack our soil.”

Noticeably, while Pezeshkian defended Iran's NPT membership and called out US "propaganda," he deliberately left the door open by not restating the religious fatwa in his recent remarks. This calculated omission leaves strategic ambiguity firmly in place, signaling to Washington that if the threats of annihilation continue, Tehran is fully prepared to leave the treaty and pursue a nuclear bomb to protect itself.

A Colossal Failure

If that happens, it will stand as a colossal failure of the Trump administration. By unilaterally pulling the United States out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—an agreement that was actively working and verifiably restricting Iran's nuclear program—the administration has achieved the exact opposite of its intended outcome.

Instead of total subjugation or unconditional surrender, the withdrawal from the 2015 deal has resulted in no treaty, a highly emboldened Iranian leadership, and a nation with far more reasons to pursue a nuclear weapon or establish a defensive treaty with a nuclear-powered state to deter American threats.

Ultimately, an administration that started with demands for total regime change has been reduced to hiding behind a single, fragile sentence. And by relentlessly threatening the very nation that made that sentence true, while ignoring the economic devastation at home, they are ensuring that both their foreign and domestic policies will end in historic failure.

   

UAE Bet on the Wrong Horse and Paved the Way for Asian Hegemony

UAE Bet on the Wrong Horse and Paved the Way for Asian Hegemony

    Friday, September 11, 2026   No comments

For decades, the United Arab Emirates was heralded as the definitive economic miracle of the twenty-first century. Rising from the desert sands, it transformed itself into a hyper-modern global crossroads, a neutral financial sanctuary, and the undisputed logistics capital connecting East and West. It was a glittering oasis built on a seductive promise to global venture capital: zero taxes, top-tier infrastructure, and absolute safety, regardless of the chaos churning elsewhere in the Middle East.

But the oasis was built on a sandhill.

The UAE’s economic architecture required two fundamental conditions to survive: permanent maritime peace and unshakeable regional security. Today, following a series of fatal strategic miscalculations, the UAE finds itself trapped in an environment that completely lacks both. By abandoning its historic policy of diplomatic hedging and choosing a side in a volatile regional landscape, Abu Dhabi has exposed the severe structural vulnerabilities of its transient, import-dependent model.

As the security architecture of the Gulf fractures, a massive global correction is underway. The decline of the UAE’s hub-and-spoke economy is paving the way for a major geopolitical shift—one that is dramatically strengthening India, Pakistan, and China, while permanently limiting the influence of the Gulf states.

The Fragile Foundation: Oil, Money, and the Migrant Majority

To understand the severity of the UAE’s current dilemma, one must look beneath the gleaming skyscrapers. The Emirati economic model is fundamentally unnatural. Emirati citizens make up only about 10% to 12% of the total population. The remaining 88% to 90% are foreign expatriates and migrant workers, predominantly from South Asia.

While the country’s legal, security, and immigration structures are specifically built to prevent any scenario of migrant civil disobedience or "takeover," this demographic reality dictates a ruthless economic imperative: the state must keep the economy booming to maintain its social contract.

Economically, the UAE has aggressively diversified. While oil and gas directly account for about 20.6% of GDP (down from a historical 30%), the non-oil sector has surged to 79.4%. However, this diversification is highly regionalized. Abu Dhabi controls roughly 94% of the country’s oil reserves, while Dubai is over 95% non-oil-based, relying on tourism, real estate, aviation, and financial services. Crucially, hydrocarbon revenues still generate roughly 60% of total fiscal revenues, which are then funneled into massive sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) managing over $2.4 trillion in assets.

To future-proof this model, the government has heavily subsidized the "New Economy," targeting AED 450 billion in tourism under the We the UAE 2031 vision, expanding aviation logistics, and positioning the nation as a global AI and tech epicenter.

But all of this high-tech, high-finance diversification relies on one physical reality: the uninterrupted movement of goods. And that is where the cartographic reality of the Gulf has finally caught up with the UAE.

The Fatal Gamble: Abandoning Neutrality for Distant Friends

The UAE’s primary trade gateway, Jebel Ali Port, sits deep inside the Persian Gulf, entirely dependent on the Strait of Hormuz. When the 2026 U.S.-Israel war on Iran erupted, the UAE shattered its traditional "hedging" foreign policy. By opening its airspace and allowing its military facilities to be used for strikes against Iran, Abu Dhabi became the only Arab state to act as an active co-belligerent.

The retaliation was swift and structurally devastating. The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, driven by extreme war-risk insurance pricing, caused container throughput at Jebel Ali to plummet by over 90%. The UAE’s Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped sharply from a booming 60.2 down to 48.8, directly severing supply chains.

Desperate to stop its economy from being held hostage, the UAE executed an emergency backup plan, but it quickly proved to be an illusion.

The Bypass Ports are in the Line of Fire: The UAE attempted to shift trade to its eastern coast port of Fujairah, which sits outside the Strait of Hormuz. However, Fujairah remains comfortably within the reach of Iranian missile and drone technology. Iran demonstrated this by launching devastating strikes directly at the Fujairah and Mussafah oil hubs, and even knocking out AWS data centers in Dubai, freezing banking applications and payment platforms. Moving cargo from Fujairah inland also requires traversing the rugged Hajar Mountains, creating natural bottlenecks and skyrocketing costs.

The Saudi Trap: With the seas compromised, the UAE’s only lifeline is overland transport through Saudi Arabia (KSA). While emergency routes like the Sharjah-Dammam Trade Bridge have been launched, routing millions of tons of cargo overland is astronomically expensive. More importantly, it gives Riyadh total leverage over Abu Dhabi. Historically fierce economic rivals, the two nations are now locked in a "Gulf Economic War." Saudi Arabia is actively executing a strategy to replace the UAE as the region's primary hub, utilizing its massive land advantage and "Project HQ" mandates to force multinational corporations to move their regional headquarters to Riyadh.

The Security Trap: To survive the drone strikes, the UAE was forced to accept advanced Israeli air defense assets, including the Iron Dome, deployed secretly on its soil. Abu Dhabi is now entirely trapped in its alliance with Israel. It cannot "make nice" with Iran without abandoning the very missile shields keeping its cities structurally intact for now.

The Great Bypass: How the East is Re-Routing Global Trade

While the UAE spends billions duplicating pipeline networks and building mountain-bypassing railways just to keep a fraction of its economy moving, the world’s rising economic giants are simply building paths around the Gulf.

For years, the UAE banked on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to cement its status as the permanent middleman of global commerce. The persistent state of war in the Gulf has effectively killed that dream. In its place, the geopolitical axes of India, Russia, and Iran have converged on an alternative that completely cuts the Gulf states out of the equation: the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

The new route is elegantly simple and geographically secure:

[Russia / Central Asia] ──> [INSTC Land & Rail] ──> [Iranian Ports (Chabahar)] ──> [Direct Ocean Routes] ──> [India & China]

By routing goods directly from Russia, through Iran’s Caspian and Indian Ocean ports, and straight into the Arabian Sea, global trade now bypasses the volatile Western-aligned chokepoints of the Gulf entirely. At recent BRICS meetings, heavyweights like Russia and China increasingly view the UAE's infrastructure not as a neutral global hub, but as a potential Western intelligence and military liability.

The Energy Realignment: Russia’s Role in the Shift

This geographic and logistical bypass is being supercharged by a critical resource: cheap, unlimited Russian energy.

With Western markets restricted, Moscow has redirected its vast oil and gas reserves eastward. By providing heavily discounted, reliable energy directly to India, China, and Pakistan, Russia has removed the single greatest leverage point the Gulf states historically held over the global economy. The Gulf’s historical monopoly on energy security has been broken, insulating the Asian mainland from Middle Eastern supply shocks.

The Winners: India, Pakistan, and China

As the UAE’s hub-and-spoke economy declines, a massive transfer of influence is flowing toward a more resilient Asian mainland.

1. India: The Ultimate Beneficiary Historically, the economic relationship between the UAE and India was a one-way street: India exported cheap labor, and the UAE reaped the corporate rewards. Now, that dynamic has reversed. As the UAE becomes a volatile security liability, global capital is migrating directly to India. Unlike the UAE, India possesses a massive domestic market of over 1.4 billion consumers, broad and unencumbered ocean access, and an unlimited native workforce. Backed by cheap Russian crude to power its industrial base, India no longer needs the UAE to act as its "front office." The UAE’s $2.4 trillion sovereign wealth is now desperately buying up Indian infrastructure and tech ecosystems, binding its financial survival to India's growth.

2. Pakistan: The Strategic Land Bridge As the Gulf destabilizes, Pakistan’s geographic value increases exponentially. Anchored by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the deepwater port of Gwadar, Pakistan provides China with a direct, overland trade route to the Arabian Sea. This infrastructure bypasses both the volatile Persian Gulf and the heavily monitored Malacca Strait, positioning Pakistan as a vital transit hub for an increasingly integrated Asian trade bloc.

3. China: The Insulated Industrial Hegemon For Beijing, a fractured Gulf accelerates its long-term strategy of Eurasian integration. By securing long-term energy deals with Russia and expanding maritime and overland routes through Pakistan and Iran, China has successfully insulated its supply chains from Western-aligned vulnerabilities. The decline of Dubai as a financial middleman simply means more global transactions shift to Shanghai and Hong Kong, utilizing alternative financial networks detached from Western oversight.

The Long-Term Cost of a Historic Blunder

The Gulf states—and the UAE in particular—built an economic empire on the assumption that they could buy security from distant superpowers while ignoring the core interests of their immediate neighbors. They assumed that a glittering skyline and a zero-tax regime would always be enough to hypnotize global markets into forgetting the volatility of the map.

It was a fatal miscalculation. By turning their homeland into a launching pad for external interests, they converted a neutral global hub into a primary military target.

As multi-trillion-dollar sovereign wealth funds scramble to buy up foreign real estate and tech ecosystems to protect their wealth abroad, the empty ports and quiet airports at home tell the real story. The capital has migrated. Armed with abundant Russian energy, vast native populations, and secure geography, the rising giants of Asia are sealing the deal. The era of the Gulf state as the indispensable middleman of global wealth is drawing to a close, proving once and for all that no amount of financial engineering can ever truly conquer geography.

US intelligence & officials warned Trump of war on Iran risks before February strikes

US intelligence & officials warned Trump of war on Iran risks before February strikes

    Tuesday, August 25, 2026   No comments

US intelligence and military officials warned President Donald Trump in the days leading up to the US-Israeli war on Iran that a large-scale attack could trigger many of the consequences Washington has since struggled to manage, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Days before the war began on 28 February, Trump summoned then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to the Oval Office and asked whether launching an all-out assault on Iran was advisable, the WSJ reported on Monday.

Gabbard reportedly presented assessments from US intelligence agencies warning that assassinating Iran’s supreme leader could result in a more hardline government that might be even more determined to pursue nuclear weapons, the report said, citing people familiar with the meeting.

She also warned that Tehran would likely move quickly to shut the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy markets, while retaliating against US forces and Washington’s regional allies.

Senior military officials separately cautioned that a broader war could lead to US casualties, further strain already overstretched US forces and raise concerns about weapons stockpiles and military readiness.

Vice President JD Vance was also among those urging a more cautious approach, according to the report. He argued that Washington should first determine whether Iran could be persuaded through negotiations to dismantle its nuclear program, particularly as its economy was already being squeezed by US sanctions. A failed diplomatic effort, he argued, could later provide a stronger justification for military action.

Trump ultimately sided with officials advocating what were described as decisive military options and ordered the attack.

A New "Sunni Axis" and the Search for a Post-American Security Umbrella

A New "Sunni Axis" and the Search for a Post-American Security Umbrella

    Friday, August 07, 2026   No comments

 The Mecca Pact

In a landmark event following prayers at the Great Mosque of Mecca, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formalized a trilateral defense agreement. This pact arrives at a critical geopolitical juncture, as the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran has fundamentally altered the strategic calculus of the Middle East. The conflict has not only destabilized the region but has also cast severe doubts on Washington's long-term security guarantees, prompting traditional US allies to seek alternative, indigenous security architectures.

The Subjectivity of "Defense" and "Legitimacy"

The formation of this alliance raises immediate questions: Is this newly forged "defensive" pact directed against Iran, or is it a hedge against another regional power—perhaps even Israel? To understand the nature of this alliance, one must first examine how "defensive" interventions and state "legitimacy" have been historically interpreted by the pact's signatories.

State narratives in the Middle East are highly subjective and heavily dictated by geopolitical convenience. For instance, Saudi Arabia launched its devastating war in Yemen under the pretext of "restoring the legitimate government" after Ho

uthi rebels took over the capital, Sana'a. Yet, this narrative clashes starkly with the actions of both Riyadh and Ankara in Syria. In Damascus, the Saudi and Turkish governments actively participated in the overthrow of the internationally recognized, "legitimate" government, throwing their weight behind rebel factions led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Joulani, a figure with historical ties to al-Qaeda). Today, the rebel government in Syria is increasingly recognized and legitimized, while the Houthi authority in Yemen—which achieved a nearly identical military feat by capturing the capital—remains in pariah status. This glaring double standard reveals that "legitimacy" and "defense" are not objective legal terms in regional politics, but flexible instruments used to justify intervention against perceived adversaries while supporting identical tactics when aligned with strategic interests.

The "Sunni Axis" and the Nuclear Umbrella

Given this fluid approach to regional security, the trilateral pact strongly resembles the very "Sunni axis" that Israeli strategists have long warned against. The most telling aspect of this new alignment is the inclusion of Pakistan—the only Muslim-majority nation to possess nuclear weapons.

For decades, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have relied implicitly on the United States' conventional and nuclear umbrella. However, recent escalations have shattered this illusion. The US security apparatus failed to protect Gulf infrastructure from Iranian-backed proxy attacks, and more pressingly, Gulf leaders are increasingly convinced that Washington would not risk its own security to protect them from a nuclear-armed Israel. In this new reality, Pakistan’s inclusion provides a crucial strategic asset: an independent, regional "Islamic nuclear umbrella." By integrating Islamabad into their defense matrix, Riyadh and Ankara are effectively insulating themselves against both Iranian retaliation and the unchecked military dominance of Israel.

A Pivot Away from Western Protection

This trilateral defense pact represents a profound strategic pivot for Gulf nations, born out of a deep-seated loss of faith in Western protection. The realization that American security guarantees are conditional and often unreliable has forced Saudi Arabia and Turkey to look inward and toward regional partners. Turkey brings formidable military industry and geopolitical weight, while Pakistan brings strategic depth, manpower, and nuclear deterrence. Together, they form a triad capable of projecting power independent of Western oversight.

Iran’s Warning and the Post-Abraham Accords Era

Tehran is acutely aware of this shifting paradigm. Responding to the Mecca agreement, Iranian MP Ebrahim Rezaei issued a stark reminder of the region's realities, stating that a "paper agreement" with Turkey and Pakistan will not guarantee Saudi security. Rezaei noted that years of "one-sided nursing" from the Americans failed to protect Riyadh, urging the Saudis to reform their policies rather than "beg for security from others."

Iran understands that the underlying driver of this pact is the Gulf’s loss of faith in Washington. Ultimately, the Saudi-Pakistani-Turkish trilateral is much more than a mutual defense treaty; it is a declaration of strategic autonomy. It signals a decisive step toward a regional security arrangement that operates entirely without Israel and serves as a direct repudiation of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. As the Middle East fractures under the weight of war and shifting alliances, the Gulf is quietly building its own fortress—one defined not by Western guarantees, but by regional, nuclear-backed deterrence.

Media Review: Yemeni strikes shift pressure from Hormuz to Saudi Arabia's Red Sea workaround

Media Review: Yemeni strikes shift pressure from Hormuz to Saudi Arabia's Red Sea workaround

    Monday, July 27, 2026   No comments

Yemeni Armed Forces announce targeting critical Saudi Aramco Oil infrastructure in Jazan and Yanbu

Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree has announced that military units successfully struck multiple sensitive and vital installations tied to the crude oil supply line running from eastern Saudi Arabia in Jazan to Yanbu.

The operation was executed using a swarm of drone aircraft and served as a direct retaliation against the Saudi-led coalition's ongoing violations of Yemeni airspace.

Economic cost

Tech Times reported on 26 July that Ansarallah's coordinated strikes on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery and Yanbu oil facilities have exposed the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia's alternative export route after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. 

Satellite data from NASA's FIRMS and SoarAtlas confirmed major fires at Jazan, while Reuters, citing Greek security sources, reported that two ballistic missiles targeting Yanbu were intercepted by Saudi air defenses.

According to the report, Saudi Arabia has spent months rerouting crude exports through the East-West (Petroline) Pipeline to Yanbu to bypass Hormuz. 

However, because tankers departing Yanbu must still transit the Bab al-Mandab, where Ansarallah has declared a naval blockade, the strikes have effectively shifted, rather than eliminated, Saudi Arabia's strategic maritime vulnerability.

The report noted that Yanbu handled around 92% of Saudi Arabia's seaborne crude exports in June, citing Kpler data reported by AFP, making it the kingdom's primary export outlet during the Hormuz disruption. 

While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, Reuters reported that Asia-based trading sources had received reports of damage at Jazan, as Saudi Aramco had not yet issued an official assessment.

Tech Times added that the attacks pushed Brent crude back above $100 per barrel and intensified concerns over global energy supplies, warning that simultaneous disruptions at Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab could place a significant share of regional oil exports at risk and further tighten global energy markets.

The cisis may get worse before it is resolved

Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia reports intercepting drones attempting to target petroleum facilities

The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, Major General Turki al-Maliki, stated that air defenses intercepted and destroyed a number of drones over the past few hours that attempted to target petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh.

Major General Maliki alleges that these attempts originated from Iraqi territory and were carried out by 'militias affiliated with Iran.'

Yemen Escalates 12-Year War with Massive Aramco Strikes and Reciprocal Siege on Saudi Arabia, Threatening Global Economy

Yemen Escalates 12-Year War with Massive Aramco Strikes and Reciprocal Siege on Saudi Arabia, Threatening Global Economy

    Saturday, July 25, 2026   No comments

 “A Blockade for a Blockade”

After twelve years of relentless conflict, the war in Yemen has crossed a critical threshold, transforming from a protracted regional siege into an imminent international economic crisis. In a landmark strategic shift, the Sanaa-based government announced a comprehensive reciprocal siege on Saudi ports and airports, vowing to maintain the blockade until the Saudi-led embargo on Yemen is completely lifted.

The dramatic escalation follows a series of devastating, coordinated military strikes targeting sensitive Saudi Aramco facilities. Analysts and global market watchers warn that the sustained targeting of the Kingdom’s oil and gas infrastructure will severely cripple the Saudi economy—a system heavily built on resource extraction—and deepen the existing global energy crisis, sending shockwaves through international supply chains and driving energy prices to unprecedented heights.

The military offensive was announced in a sweeping statement by Major General Yahya Saree, Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, who detailed the retaliation against recent Saudi airstrikes and outlined a new doctrine of mutual attrition.

Retaliation for Hodeidah and Kamaran Island

The escalation was triggered by a series of Saudi airstrikes targeting the Yemeni city and port of Hodeidah, as well as Kamaran Island. According to the Sanaa government, these strikes resulted in significant material and infrastructural damage, prompting immediate engagement by Yemeni air defenses.

In a direct and forceful response, the Yemeni Armed Forces launched what they described as "two qualitative military operations" deep into Saudi territory.

Detailing the strikes in his official statement, Spokesman Yahya Saree said:

"In its continued siege of the Yemeni people and in yet another violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen, the Saudi enemy regime launched a series of unjust and criminal airstrikes last night on the city and port of Hodeidah and Kamaran Island.

These airstrikes resulted in material and incorporeal damage, and air defenses engaged with a formation of enemy aircraft after they violated Yemeni airspace, preventing them from committing further crimes against this great nation.

In response to this blatant and criminal aggression, the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out two qualitative military operations.

The first targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Jizan with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.

And the second operation targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Yanbu with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.

Both operations successfully achieved their objectives, thanks to God Almighty, with accurate and direct strikes.

This escalation of aggression confirms the Saudi enemy's determination to continue its siege of our people and its violation of our country's sovereignty. This is unacceptable, and our free, faithful, and valiant people will confront it with unwavering resolve and strength.

We in the Yemeni Armed Forces, relying on Allah, are committed to fulfilling our duty of honorable and responsible defense of our beloved country and our noble people—the people of faith and wisdom, the people of Islam and Arabism.

This criminal enemy will find nothing from us but resistance and confrontation from our righteous position, while it stands on the side of falsehood. Indeed, falsehood is ever bound to perish.

We affirm that the naval blockade imposed on the Saudi enemy remains in effect, in response to its aggression and its unjust blockade that has persisted for twelve years. We will not hesitate to expand our operations and escalate our actions based on developments in the coming hours and days, within the equation of a blockade for a blockade and an escalation for an escalation."