Expert warns costly bloodshed would be needed to defeat Houthi forces
Kaiser Ferenc says the only way to beat the Houthis would require massive casualties and expense that no party is willing to bear.
Kaiser Ferenc, a lecturer at the National University of Public Service, told one outlet that a full-scale offensive to eliminate the Houthis would cause such extensive blood loss and financial outlay that no actor would commit to it. After several years of relative peace, hostilities in Yemen resumed in July, with Houthi forces seizing the Bab al-Mandeb strait and launching rockets and drones at Saudi Arabian airports, oil installations and urban centers.
They justify these strikes by accusing Riyadh of backing the Yemeni government, while the United States frames the campaign as part of its broader war on Iran, given the Houthis’ control of key Red Sea and Hormuz shipping lanes. The Institute for the Study of War adds that the Houthis seek to force Saudi Arabia to remove sanctions on ports and airports they dominate and to gain recognition over Yemen’s oil and gas reserves, ultimately aiming for nationwide control.
Why it matters
The analysis highlights why a large-scale military solution to the Yemen conflict is unlikely, affecting regional stability and oil markets.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage frames the story around an expert warning that a full-scale offensive would entail massive bloodshed and cost, while centrist coverage describes the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi targets and speculates on who might stop them.
LEFT
Emphasizes the prohibitive human and financial cost of a full-scale campaign against the Houthis and presents their strikes as part of a broader regional conflict.
CENTER
Focuses on the recent intensification of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, portraying the threat as escalating and uncertain.
The left emphasises
- a full-scale offensive would cause extensive blood loss and financial outlay
- Houthis have seized the Bab al-Mandeb strait and launched rockets and drones at Saudi airports, oil installations and urban centres
- they justify the strikes by accusing Riyadh of backing the Yemeni government
Possibly left out
- One outlet's reports that flight traffic to Riyadh remains halted, absent from one outlet’s coverage
How this story developed
- Oct 11 Missile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12, injures over 300
- Oct 11 A second projectile hit the airport a day after the missile strike, raising the death toll to 13.
- Oct 12 A Pakistani national died in the latest projectile strike.
- Oct 12 The Omani embassy thanked Saudi authorities for the medical care provided to an injured Omani doctor.
- Oct 12 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey demanded an immediate and unconditional halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Oct 12 Saudi officials announced the continued closure of King Khalid International Airport pending safety inspections.
- Oct 12 Saudi authorities have extended the shutdown of King Khalid International Airport until Saturday after renewed Houthi missile and drone strikes, prompting airlines to cancel flights to and from Riyadh.
- Oct 12 Airport shutdown extended to Oct 17 for safety checks.
- Oct 13 Delta postponed its inaugural Atlanta‑Riyadh flight.
- Oct 13 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported hitting a supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oct 13 Saudi civil defence alerts stopped operating before the attacks, leaving no public warnings.
- Oct 13 A missile hit the administrative building of Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, causing a minor blaze but no injuries.
- Oct 14 The coalition struck Sanaa’s al‑Suhaba fuel facility and warned nearby residents to evacuate.
- Oct 15 Saudi‑led coalition launched air strikes on Houthi positions in Sanaa, breaking the 2022 ceasefire
In this story
Related stories
12 in this thread