Firaz Maqsad
Appearances
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
I think the broader message though here from the Trump administration, which has been planning this for weeks, has coordinated with its allies, the Arab Gulf, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others. There's a dual message here. One is towards Iran. Clearly, President Trump here wants to negotiate from a position of strength and leverage.
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
And this is what he's doing by threatening one of their proxies in the region. The second one is also domestic. If very much underscoring that the Biden administration was unable to deal effectively with the Houthi threat to shipping in the Red Sea. There's a new sheriff in town. There's a new way of doing business. He will be much tougher than his predecessor was.
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
The Iranians are generally cautious. And so this will take some time to play out. We will probably see some kind of Houthi retaliation against American bases and assets in the region. Djibouti comes to mind right across from the Red Sea where there are American assets. There's concern about American assets in places like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
We'll have to see what kind of response the Houthis will muster.
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
Well, for one, this is a much broader campaign. This seems to be also much more forceful in terms of the targets that were hit today. My information is that this is not a one-off. This will be ongoing. And so this is really a different caliber of message that's being sent to the Houthis.
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
If the question is whether it promises to be more effective in ending Houthi targeting of shipping across the Red Sea, I think the response is less certain to that question.
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
I don't think so. I think this is the Houthis in Yemen has been a tough nut to crack, so to speak, for quite a number of years, certainly since October 7th, since Hamas launched its operation against Israel. We had the war in Gaza. Houthis got themselves directly involved in that fighting.
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
It is understandable that coercion be used again as a tool of foreign policy in the hope that would then support the diplomacy that is ongoing. And I think it was very clear
Global News Podcast
US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
in President Trump's message to the Iranians that he is interested in diplomacy, that he is calling upon them to act quickly and to restrain their Houthi proxy in order to move forward, not only in relation to Yemen, the end of the Houthi strikes on shipping, but also in Iran's nuclear program.