Mostafa Hashem: Yemen could become protracted conflict - OPINION

Baku. 31 March. REPORT.AZ/ Yemen could become protracted conflict. Report was told by the Egyptian expert, Deutsche Welle observer Mostafa Hashem.

"Operation Decisive Storm led primarily by Saudi Arabia, because if the Huthis controlled the country this would mean the Iran's proxy is at the borders of Saudi Arabia, which will make troubles inside Saudi Arabia", expert says.

According to him, the war in Yemen will take a long time, and "defeating the Huthis needs a wide range ground intervention, as they move among civilians and install antiaircraft artillery and some heavy weapons on top of civilian buildings, and weapons storehouses are found in residential areas. But experience of the ground intervention inside Yemen is negative for Saudi Arabia and Egypt. They both incurred Large losses and failed to achieve their previous objectives. Bombing residential buildings may lead to the of the majority of the Yemeni people sympathizing with the Huthis. What the countries of the Alliance want from this operation is to press the Huthis so as to accept the dialogue. According to expert, Iran will try to dismember the Alliance with the war's long range From its part, Iran will press from the side on the Alliance forces through the Syrian file and it will support Assad regime with all its force as well as raising troubles in the area".

"As for the Gulf states, whose economies are based on oil revenue, their long term intervention in the field of the Yemeni war might not make it unaffected by its consequences. If the Mandeb strait and those countries were affected, oil prices will continue surging, but in spite of the fears of controlling Bab el Mandab by the Huthis, the Great Powers will not let a group related to Iran control Madab Strait, especially while Tehran controls Hormuz Strait, which is another strategic strait connecting the Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea. The civil war will continue because of inciting sectarian strife. It is difficult for the Huthis to surrender. And the continuation of the Yemeni war will deprive Yemen from its oil revenues and its development projects as well",- the expert consider.