News - Yemen: Zakaria Al-Sharabi, a researcher in political and military affairs, stated that Yemen is waging a strategic battle that is reshaping naval power concepts and dismantling the traditional foundations of American military doctrine.

He explained that the United States has long relied on a deterrence strategy centered around the symbolic deployment of aircraft carriers and large fleets. Merely stationing an aircraft carrier in a given region was once sufficient to assert dominance. However, this equation, he argued, has collapsed in the face of the asymmetric weapons deployed by the Yemeni Armed Forces, which have succeeded in delivering painful tactical and strategic blows.

Al-Sharabi cited recent US Senate discussions regarding the Red Sea conflict, where senators openly acknowledged "deadly gaps" in US naval power exposed by Yemeni capabilities.

He explained that Yemeni tactics have demonstrated the effectiveness of low-cost weapons in exhausting US military resources. While a Yemeni drone might cost only a few thousand dollars, the US is compelled to counter them with SM-2 or SM-6 interceptors — each costing up to $4 million. In some cases, SM-3 missiles, priced between $10 million and $30 million, have been used to intercept drones or missiles from Yemen.

This vast cost imbalance, he noted, creates financial and logistical burdens that the US military cannot sustain long-term, especially as Yemeni operations intensify and multiple fronts remain active.

Al-Sharabi also discussed Yemen’s use of what US analysts call “Hell Drown” or “Saturation Fire” tactics — launching simultaneous waves of drones and missiles to overwhelm naval defense systems that cannot intercept all incoming threats. One American analyst even described aircraft carriers as becoming “sitting ducks” under such pressure.

He stated that these tactical successes have triggered significant debate within US strategic circles about the viability of traditional military platforms, prompting calls for a shift in funding toward modern technologies such as unmanned boats, drones, and submarines.

Al-Sharabi highlighted a congressional hearing in which Admiral Samuel Paparo (Commander of the US Pacific Fleet) acknowledged that the issue lies not in "intent" or "resolve" but in the capacity to adapt to evolving threats. This, Al-Sharabi noted, signals a deeper crisis in the US military-industrial base, which struggles to keep pace with demands, especially as China and Russia invest in agile, cost-effective weapon systems.

He pointed to a telling remark from a US senator who asked, “Will others wait a whole decade for us to regain superiority?” — a sign of growing concern over the shifting global balance of power.

Regarding the end of absolute maritime dominance, Al-Sharabi said the Red Sea conflict has imposed a new strategic reality. For decades, the Red Sea — a vital artery for global trade — was an uncontested US zone of influence, maintained by the presence of the Fifth Fleet and military bases.

Now, the gradual US pullback under sustained Yemeni pressure is not a tactical redeployment but a strategic retreat prompted by growing risks and military strain, according to Al-Sharabi.

He added that the US Deputy Secretary of Defense’s recent statement — “the era of absolute maritime dominance is over” — constitutes a tacit admission of declining US naval control, not only in the Red Sea but globally.

Al-Sharabi concluded by noting that global powers like China and Russia are watching these developments closely. Chinese media, he observed, has devoted significant attention to the Red Sea events, especially given the US's historic use of naval force to pressure Beijing — as during the 2016 Taiwan crisis.

Now, the image of a US aircraft carrier flailing before Yemeni drones symbolizes a profound strategic shift — one that Beijing and Moscow view as evidence of a changing global order.

These actions are framed as part of a broader Yemeni strategy to enforce an aerial and naval blockade on the Israeli enemy in response to its war crimes and humanitarian blockade of Gaza. By continually threatening key points in occupied Palestine, the Yemeni forces aim to create both material and psychological pressure to halt the assault on Gaza and open humanitarian corridors.

The Yemeni government and Armed Forces have repeatedly stated that their operations are defensive and moral in nature, declaring unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian cause and vowing to continue their strikes until the siege on Gaza is lifted and the aggression ends.