Nothing betrays this growing concern more than Tehran’s reported withdrawal of all Iranian military personnel from Yemen where they support the Houthi rebels.
The move is a watershed because it marks a major retreat by Iran in its support for the Houthis, the last major Iranian terror proxy in the region.
Iran’s move follows a series of escalating US military strikes on Houthi forces, missile sites and rebel leaders in Yemen
It also follows direct threats from Trump that the US will hold Iran responsible for any further aggression from the Houthis which have attacked Israel, the US Navy and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Iran fears that Trump is itching for a military strike against it and that it will use Iran’s military and financial support for the Houthis as the excuse for conflict.
Trump has stepped up pressure on Iran to limit its nuclear program and any US strikes against Iran would likely target Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Iran also fears that Trump may give a green light to Israel, where the Netanyahu government is also thought to be weighing up a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities
The extent of Iran’s retreat from Yemen is not yet clear. The country supplies missiles and armaments to the Houthis and it is unclear whether the retreat of military personnel will also lead to restrictions of military supplies.
But one thing is clear – Iran wants to distance itself from the Houthis to avoid provoking Trump into a direct attack.
It knows that Trump is a very different president to Biden who refused to be tough on Iran in the forlorn hope would recommit to the Obama-era nuclear deal to limit its nuclear program.
Trump has progressively increased US attacks on the Houthis to try to break the back of the terror group which controls much of Yemen’s population and is seeking to become the country’s permanent rulers.
Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have seen shipping traffic fall by 65 per cent in past six months. It has also lobbed missiles at Israel and, more recently, at US warships in the region.
Iran’s retreat from Yemen is the latest in a string of major setbacks for the Iran’s ruling mullahs since Hamas’ massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023.
Since then Iran’s key proxies in the region – Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been brought to their knees while the last one, the Houthis are now under severe and sustained US attack.
Iran itself was shamed by the toothless nature of its two direct attacks on Israel last year which only underlined Israel’s military superiority.
Iran’s decision to distance itself from the Houthi is just the latest indignity to befall Iran as its much-vaunted terror apparatus across the Middle East shrivels away.
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