Israeli Air Force jets today hit prime targets in Yemen for the second day in a row, possibly putting the country’s main international airport out of commission in the Houthi-held capital.
Early reports indicate that, after issuing an evacuation order, the IAF destroyed the Sana’a International Airport runway, control tower, terminal, and empty airliners on the ground. Hitting the airliners, if true, sends a message to the airlines and their insurers: "Attempt no landing here."
Jerusalem claims to have "fully disabled the airport." Other targets destroyed included a pair of Sana'a power stations.
It seems like just earlier today [it was just earlier today, Steve —Editor] that I reported on Jerusalem's ultimatum to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, that they must surrender and return the hostages by the time President Donald Trump returns from his May 13-16 Middle East trip — or face full re-occupation.
Today's action in Yemen ought to add some teeth to that threat.
While fighting rages from Gaza to Yemen, the White House wants to breathe new life into the Trump 45-era Abraham Accords. Steve Witkoff, who serves as Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East, announced today he's working on "an expansion" of the Accords, left moribund by Joe Biden's crew as mere "tactics of the prior administration."
This is a two-track peace process Ronald Reagan would find familiar. Reagan's "peace through strength" wasn’t just a slogan — it was his strategy.
Reagan saw the Soviet intermediate-range nuclear missile buildup in Eastern Europe as a direct threat to NATO. With West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl providing political cover, Reagan deployed Pershing II intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Germany while simultaneously pushing the Soviets to agree to banning all such missiles.
It worked.
Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the INF Treaty in 1987, banning all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of about 300 to 3,400 miles. It probably helped that Gorbachev's generals told him the Pershing II was so fast and accurate that it could, with almost zero warning, eliminate Soviet army- and corps-level HQs all across the Warsaw Pact — or even put a nuclear warhead right above the Kremlin.
Trump follows a similar course toward increased stability in the Middle East. He effectively let Israel off the leash in dealing with Hamas, the Houthis, and — let's whisper this part — maybe even Iran. Meanwhile, Witkoff works quietly in the background to re-establish the Abraham negotiations.
When Witkoff says he'll have "a lot more announcements very, very shortly," I take that to mean he's making progress around the region. When Trump himself visits the region next week, his stops include Saudi Arabia. If Witkoff has the Saudis on board with the Accords, that would be their capstone — and the biggest step toward regional peace since the founding of Israel almost 80 years ago.
The IDF unleashed is the stick. Peace, trade, and everybody making money is the carrot — one that the more rational Arab leaders perfectly understand.
Will it work? Is the purpose of Trump's visit to announce major new signatories to the Abraham Accords?
Stay tuned, but in the meantime, enjoy the sounds of explosions in places where Houthi terrorists used to hide.
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