Washington Refuses to Share Its Offensive Plan With Gulf Allies and Sends New Warning Messages to Yemen's Houthis

Informed sources from the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group told Sheba Intelligence that the groupleadership received two warning letters from Qatar and Oman, confirming that the Americans are serious about carrying out a military operation unless the escalation in the Red Sea stops.

The sources added, "The communication channel linking the Qatari Prime Minister's Office with the Houthi group sent a message from Brett McGurk, the U.S. National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, who visited Doha on Tuesday, to the Houthis about the need for the cessation of the Red Sea attacks before a military operation begins."

The sources quoted an official from the Houthi group who visited Doha as confirming that Qatari intelligence informed them that the U.S.had already decided on plans for attacks against the group, and it might begin carrying out the attacks after the U.N. Security Council meeting.

The sources pointed out that the same message that the Houthi group received from the Qataris also came from the Omanis. "A similar message arrived from U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken via the Sultanate of Oman," the sources told Sheba Intelligence. 

The Houthi group launched the largest attack on the American forces on Tuesday when McGurk was in a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The U.S. and U.K. forces in the Red Sea intercepted the Houthi missiles and drones, and no casualties were reported. 

McGurk's trip follows a visit by Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who is on a regional tour to discuss the war in Gaza and rising tensions across the Middle East.

Diplomatic and military sources told Sheba Intelligence that Washington refused to share the plan for the potential attacks on Houthis with its regional allies.

The sources said, "Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE requested to see the American plans and goals, but Blinken and McGurk refused to provide any details, and the Pentagon also refused to do so. Even Bahrain, a member of the U.S.-led Operation "Guardian of Prosperity,"does not know the details."

A week ago, the U.S., U.K. and 10 other Western countries issued a joint statement, again warning the Houthis that there would be consequences if their attacks against commercial ships in the southern Red Sea continued. 12% of total seaborne-traded oil in the first half of 2023 and 8% of LNG trade passed through the Bab al-Mandab, the SUMED pipeline, and the Suez Canal, According to the Energy Information Administration.