Yemen Ceasefire in Jeopardy After Oil Port Attack

They always say the on-again, off-again ceasefire in Yemen is in jeopardy, but it seems like there really are some questions tonight after Houthi drone attacks on a southern oil port. Yemeni officials claim to have intercepted the drones,  the first such attack in months.

There have been few attacks recently, and fewer still of any substance. Still, the Yemen National Defense Council was quick to panic and declare the Houthis a “terrorist group” and make a fuss about their ties to Iran.

This rhetoric has long been used both to justify the war within the GCC, and to agitate for further US support for a conflict that is increasingly unpopular in the West.

While the Saudis might use this incident as an excuse to escalate, those actions have rarely benefited the protracted war effort. This is why everyone has grown war-weary and wants to make a deal to end the war.

Unfortunately, so far there’s been little willingness to make a first step to advance peace. At best, the hope is enough to keep each tit-for-tat attack from spiraling into more fighting. Everything remains in a tenuous situation.