A Yemeni parade at the intersection of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea raises international attention

For the first time since the announcement of the Yemeni forces expanding their operations to the eastern coast, the latest operation has captured the international spotlight. What are its dimensions?

Exclusive – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:

American, German, and French media outlets have dedicated extensive coverage in the past few hours to covering the operation carried out by Yemeni forces about 450 kilometers (approximately 246 nautical miles) off the eastern coast of Yemen. The operation targeted the vessel “Stolt Skuld,” and major American and Western agencies, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and DW, unanimously agreed that this recent operation marks a new development in Yemeni operations active since last November against Israeli navigation in the Red Sea and even the Indian Ocean.

In their coverage of the operation, which was confirmed by the British Maritime Trade Authority and revealed by the military spokesman in Sana’a, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, these media outlets attempted to highlight the geographic dimension of the new operation. Although Yemeni forces have previously carried out numerous operations in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean in recent months, as well as the new shift in Yemeni operations at the intersection of the most important sea lane in the region, the most significant aspect remains the vessel itself. Despite limited information about the ship’s contracts with international forces deployed militarily in the Red and Arabian Seas, the cargo ship’s capacity to transport chemical substances adds another dimension for Western focus on the new operation. The vessel was in route from the port of Fujairah in the Emirates to a French port and several other Western ports, notably the Dutch port, which recently assumed command of the Western fleet in the Red Sea.

Targeting “Stolt Skuld” may be one of several operations carried out by Yemeni forces in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean. However, the Western and American focus on this operation reflects the conviction of these parties regarding Yemen’s ability to shift the theater of confrontation to a distant point off the eastern coast after months of Western-American disregard for Yemeni operations along the shipping lines in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean that lasted for months.

It also indicates the recognition by these parties of Yemeni forces’ introduction of new technology in their solidarity military operations with Gaza, especially as the media spotlight coincides with statements from Western and American officials about a new development in Yemen’s military capabilities as the escalation enters its fourth phase, with Yemen hinting at the fifth phase.