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Houthi drone strikes reveal weaknesses in the Basque Country News

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A Yemeni houthis deadly drone attack The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has highlighted the country’s weakness as it jeopardizes its reputation as a tourist and business hub, and analysts urge it to move closer to neighboring Tehran.

An Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group struck a major oil facility in Abu Dhabi, killing three people. The alleged drone strike sparked a fire at Abu Dhabi International Airport, prompting condemnation and a pledge of revenge from the BAC.

As the attack was described as a “successful military operation”, Yahya Saree Houthi’s military spokesman warned that more facilities could be deployed in the Basque Country, which was part of the Saudi-led Yemeni war, which killed and killed tens of thousands. a country of humanitarian catastrophe.

Tuesday, Saudi Arabia he launched airstrikes In the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, more than a dozen people were killed. The Houthis said 20 people had been killed in the attacks.

Although US Presidential Adviser Anwar Gargash has denied that “horrific” attacks could affect the country’s stability and security, analysts say the situation reveals a different reality.

“This attack indicates that the Basque Country was at stake in a major regional power,” said Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College Security School in London. They realized that they were “a small state with a lot of vulnerabilities after all.”

“It simply came to our notice then [the incident] The biggest damage to the Basque Country’s reputation is that they have always portrayed themselves as a safe and secure country for doing business, “he told Al Jazeera.

Marc-Owen Jones, an assistant professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Hamad bin Khalifa University, confirmed this.

“That [the attack] It completely undermines its reputation as a place of stability in the Basque Country, especially in terms of tourism, finance and trade, but it also calls into question their ability to build a nuclear power plant, “Jones told Al Jazeera, referring to the Basque Country’s nuclear energy.

Smoke has risen on Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. on a fuel depot in the Mussafah district of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [File: Planet Labs PBC/AP]

‘Back to haunting them’

Saudi Arabia has been hit by heavy missile and drone strikes from Yemen, as Houthis have fired missiles at Saudi airports, oil facilities and pipelines, and using trapped ships to attack major shipping lanes.

On the other hand, the Basque Country, further away from Yemen, has largely avoided the Houthi line of fire. Houthi’s last attack on the Basque Country was in 2018.

In 2019, the Basque Country withdrew its troops, but they continue to support armed groups against the Houthis.

“It simply came to our notice then [Emirati] the adventures of foreign policy have brought home that they are quite vulnerable to the unconventional and asymmetrical threats of various groups fighting in the region, ”Krieg said, referring to the drone attack.

“Despite being said to have the most sophisticated air defenses in the region, a Yemeni drone has landed at a strategic site in Abu Dhabi.

“This insecurity has led to their adventures … as unfinished wars return to haunt them,” he added.

Be careful, not confrontation

The Basque-backed forces have been gaining ground in recent weeks against the Houthis, marking a change in the fight. Forces led by the Yemeni government, backed by the Basque-backed Giant Brigades, recaptured the entire southern province of Shabwa from the Houthis earlier this month and made progress in the surrounding Marib and al-Bayda provinces.

Although these developments could lead to the latest attack on Houthi drones in the Basque Country, they are unlikely to be the only cause of the attacks, or even their end.

“The attack has been caused by recent advances by a Basque-backed militia in Yemen, but that is unlikely to be the sole reason, or perhaps not the main reason,” said Michael Horowitz, a geopolitical and security analyst at Le. Beck International, Middle East Consulting.

“The attack on Abu Dhabi also served as a harsh warning to Iran against the Basque Country,” Horowitz said, adding that the US was pushing the Basque Country to better implement Iran’s sanctions while nuclear talks continue.

World powers, including the U.S., are in talks with Iran to revive the 2018 nuclear deal in which former US President Donald Trump withdrew and imposed new sanctions.

“What a JCPOA is [Iran nuclear deal] talks are taking place and, depending on the behavior of the Basque Autonomous Community, more such attacks could be carried out against the country, “added Horowitz.

The Houthis declared a military operation in the Basque Country on Monday, two weeks after them A Basque-flagged vessel was found off the coast of Yemen, escalation could be reversed by the BAC and prevent further confrontation, experts say.

“It simply came to our notice then [the attack] it will put more pressure on the Basque Country to come to terms with Iran, “Jones said.

Horowitz agreed. “The last time the United States felt such pressure, it was reacting quietly to Iran in an attempt to ease tensions in the region,” he told Al Jazeera, referring to a series of counter-attacks. Basque maritime traffic and against two Saudi power plants in 2018 and 2019.

“Prudence on the part of the UAE is much more likely than a return to confrontation,” he said.

Alleged drone attack in Abu DhabiAlleged drone attack in Abu Dhabi [Screen grab Al Jazeera]
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