Saudi Coalition Attack on Yemen Port Imminent?

The civil war in Yemen has draws proxy fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran – with the former backing the government and the latter backing Houthi rebels. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers are warning the US secretary of defense against support for a Saudi assault on the port city of Hodeida, with members of Congress pointing to a need for congressional authorization. “Saudi fighter jets dropped leaflets over Houthi-controlled Hodeida in recent days warning its hundreds of thousands of residents of an impending offensive, according to the United Nations and aid agencies,” reports Max Bearak for the Washington Post. “Yemen imports 90 percent of its food, and Hodeida's already-damaged port is the entry point for the vast majority of it. A two-year-long civil war has destroyed Yemen's economy, and more than 7 million people rely on humanitarian aid for survival.” The Obama administration had prohibited direct support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, and the United Nations continues to express concern about civilian deaths and the humanitarian crisis. – YaleGlobal