News - Yemen: Political activist and researcher Zakaria Al-Sharabi confirmed that the United States is facing unprecedented military challenges today, particularly in the Red Sea, which has become a real testing ground for its capabilities in one of the most complex maritime regions since World War II.

In his analysis of the ongoing battles, Al-Sharabi pointed out that Washington has collided with a new reality it has never encountered before: hypersonic missiles reaching speeds of Mach 5, which has stunned U.S. military leaders, including Deputy Commander of CENTCOM, Brad Cooper, who admitted that such phenomena had not been seen in decades. 

Speaking to Almasirah TV, he explained that this shift in the nature of threats has exposed real gaps in U.S. defense systems, particularly modern energy-based weapons that have so far failed to prove effective—despite massive media and financial hype.

He noted that the U.S. military-industrial complex has rushed to exploit these threats to expand its influence by pushing for modernization projects in exchange for massive defense budgets, despite the failure of many weapon systems on the battlefield. "Turning failure into profit opportunities is a hallmark of the U.S. military-industrial complex, directly influencing American defense policy," he said.

Al-Sharabi highlighted that American weapons once marketed as symbols of military superiority—such as the MQ-9 Reaper drone and the F-35 stealth fighter—have lost much of their deterrent image. He pointed out that Yemen has successfully detected an F-35 on radar and nearly shot one down, marking an unprecedented event in the aircraft’s history.

According to Al-Sharabi, the battle in Yemen has become a turning point, with Yemeni forces demonstrating remarkable tactical creativity and even outperforming major armies in certain aspects. "Yemen is no longer fighting a conventional war but a battle of awareness, technology, and innovative tactics," he added.

He noted that the U.S. is now forced to reassess its defense spending, realizing the diminished effectiveness of aircraft carriers in modern warfare amid the rise of precise, low-cost ballistic missiles.

"Despite Washington announcing an additional $6.5 billion investment in hypersonic missiles and munitions, the U.S. still lags behind Russia and China, which are technologically superior in this field," he continued.

Al-Sharabi concluded that the failure of certain U.S. programs, like the F-35, has pushed Washington toward developing sixth-generation fighters (such as the F-47) in an attempt to overcome deficiencies. However, doubts now plague American arms deals—even among its allies.

In recent years, Yemen has steadily transformed from a war-torn nation defending its sovereignty to a central player in a broader regional confrontation against foreign hegemony. As part of the Axis of Resistance — an alliance that includes Iran, Hezbollah, and other anti-Zionist forces — Yemen has elevated its position through increasingly strategic and coordinated military operations.

Since the ongoing genocide in Gaza by the Israeli enemy, the Yemeni Armed Forces have not only issued statements of solidarity but have also taken direct action. These actions have ranged from missile strikes targeting critical military installations in occupied territories to high-impact naval operations that have disrupted Israeli-link shipping through the Red Sea.

Led by Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, Yemen has become a significant force capable of reshaping regional dynamics, imposing new deterrence equations, and altering the calculations of both the Zionist enemy and its American backers.