- Zimmerman, Estelle: Escalation in the Red Sea
A Saudi-led military coalition involved in Yemen’s war acknowledged on Saturday that one of its jets carried out an attack on a funeral this month in the Yemeni capital, Sana, that killed more than 100 people and wounded hundreds of others. – New York Times
Two Americans held in war-torn Yemen were freed and flown to Oman on Saturday in preparation for their return to the U.S., Oman’s government news agency said. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Katherine Zimmerman and Emily Estelle write: The challenges facing the United States in the Red Sea and the region will continue to multiply rapidly. Iranians or their proxies are now challenging the U.S. Navy’s ability to operate freely in one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. American responses risk drawing the U.S. further into a complex regional and internal Yemeni war. The U.S. must stop compartmentalizing challenges and conflicts that are increasingly intersecting. A strategic and comprehensive view of these problems must replace the tactical and ad hoc approach that has characterized U.S. policy in the Middle East for so long. – AEI’s Critical Threats
Iran has stepped up weapons transfers to the Houthis, the militia fighting the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, U.S., Western and Iranian officials tell Reuters, a development that threatens to prolong and intensify the 19-month-old war. - Reuters
Parties to the war in Yemen for the most part adhered to a 72-hour truce that began just before midnight on Wednesday and the capital Sanaa passed its first night in three months without air strikes, residents and officials said. - Reuters
Paul Bucala, et al. write: Iran almost certainly played a role in the missile attacks against the USS Mason near the Bab al Mandab Strait on October 9 and October 12. Senior U.S. administration officials asserted with “great confidence” that al Houthi forces were “unquestionably involved” in the missile strikes. – AEI’s Critical Threats
Mark Lagon writes: Saudi Arabia has been a problematic ally for a generation. In earlier eras, American dependence on its oil and strategic alignments in the Middle East have convinced policymakers they had very little room to change course. An unquestioning alliance with Saudi Arabia is no longer a necessary pill to swallow. It is time to reconsider partnerships that directly contradict not only our values—from women’s rights to religious freedom to executions—but our interests. – The National Interest