US influence questioned, Iran & Yemen prevail: The Telegraph
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Despite President Biden's reaffirmation of the US as the "indispensable nation," persistent challenges in Yemen and Iran underscore the limitations of US military strategies and highlight the need for a reassessment of its global influence according to Daniel Depetris.
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A Yemeni man raises a mock rocket during a rally against the US and 'Israel' and to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen, April. 26, 2024. (AP)
In reaffirming the United States as "the indispensable nation," US President Joe Biden echoed former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's iconic phrase during a speech last October. "America is a beacon to the world...We are, as my friend Madeleine Albright said, the indispensable nation," Biden declared, underlining the US commitment to global leadership.
Yet, the reality of US military engagements in places like Yemen and Iran paints a contrasting picture of effectiveness and influence according to a commentary piece by Daniel Depetris published in The Telegraph.
Despite extensive military campaigns, including multiple airstrikes and engagements against Ansar Allah forces in Yemen, the persistent operations from Yemen indicate a shortfall in US strategy read the commentary piece titled "Iran and the Houthis have defeated the US military".
"Yet the mere fact that the US is taking military action every week is proof that US policy isn’t impacting the Houthis decision-making whatsoever. The Houthi missiles keep on coming," said Depetris.
The challenge extends to Iran, the article explained, where the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign, marked by severe sanctions following the withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement, failed to curb Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Instead, Iran has intensified its nuclear activities, installing more superior centrifuges, enhancing uranium enrichment levels, and limiting the access of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Iran is now as close to nuclear-bomb fuel as it’s ever been," Depetris noted underscoring the ineffectiveness of the US sanctions in altering Tehran's strategic calculations.
These developments highlight a gap between the US's perceived and actual influence, Depetris proclaimed, suggesting an overestimation of its ability to impose its will and an underestimation of other nations' capacity to resist US dictates.
The ongoing challenges in Yemen and Iran not only test the US's global stance but also call for a reassessment of its approach to complex international issues the article concluded.
Iran's 3rd Khordad air defense system: A proven threat to US aircraft
The Iranian 3rd Khordad Tactical air defense system was designed to counter United States aircraft and airborne munition, an Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) advisor revealed.
Brigadier General Ali Reza Balali was interviewed by the Iranian Fars News Agency, where he highlighted the operational capabilities of the indigenous air defense system.
Balali is an advisor for the renowned IRGC Aerospace Force, which has made massive strides in recent years, producing multiple offensive and defensive missile systems that have proven successful in recent confrontations. He said that the 3rd Khordad Tactical air defense system is an outright mobile and tactical system designed for countering American forces in the region.
Read more: Yemeni operations further expose US Navy fleet failures in Red Sea: RS
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
