Trump Escalates the War by Threatening Iran… Reciprocal Strikes Between Sanaa and the “Truman” /  Hamdan: Witkoff’s Proposals for Gaza Mirror Netanyahu’s Demands to Overturn the Agreement

 March 18, 2025

The political editor wrote

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran is responsible for any attacks launched by the Yemenis in the Red Sea, threatening to hold Tehran accountable accordingly. In response, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander General Hossein Salami asserted that Ansar Allah and the Yemeni people act independently in their decisions, and that their actions are aimed at pressuring the occupying entity to uphold the ceasefire agreement in Gaza – an agreement brokered by Washington to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid. Salami also declared that Iran is fully prepared to confront any aggression against it, vowing a harsh, decisive, and devastating response. Meanwhile, on the battlefield, U.S. airstrikes targeted the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, its southern mountains, and the Hudaydah region, while Ansar Allah launched new attacks on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

In Gaza, negotiations remained stalled amid Israeli preoccupation with the crisis triggered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. The move has sparked political and social upheaval, with economic, academic, and parliamentary groups calling for protests on Wednesday, the day originally set for the cabinet meeting to finalise the dismissal before Netanyahu moved it to Tuesday. On the Palestinian side, Hamas official Osama Hamdan stated that U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is carrying and endorsing Netanyahu’s demands, which revolve around a single objective: overturning the ceasefire agreement and replacing it with a new deal centered on a prisoner exchange without ending the war or the occupation.

In Lebanon, the war-like atmosphere that engulfed the northeastern region of Hermel dominated political discourse at both governmental and non-governmental levels. The area witnessed cross-border attacks from Syria, including concentrated rocket and artillery shelling, alongside troop mobilisations by both regular and factional forces, signaling a potential escalation. Notably, the Lebanese government, following directives from the president, ordered the army to retaliate against the sources of fire and protect Lebanese villages and towns. In response, the army deployed personnel, armored vehicles, and weaponry, taking full control of the battlefield to establish military and political deterrence. The move was also aimed at dispelling any narrative linking the current escalation to the past conflict between Hezbollah and the so-called “New Syrian Army”, Hezbollah has repeatedly denied involvement in the events, dismissing political and media accusations as baseless. By dawn, the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers successfully brokered a ceasefire agreement.