Houthis Strike Yemen Presidential Palace

Yesterday, the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group struck the official Yemeni government’s presidential palace in Aden with five missiles, causing five deaths and 16 injuries. This ongoing war against the internationally recognized Yemeni government could have major regional and prophetic effects.

• Yemeni Prime Minister Shaja Mohsen was present but survived uninjured.
• Three of the missiles struck a Yemeni command center while two struck the headquarters of Saudi Arabia’s military efforts in Yemen. Houthi spokesman Jahja Saree claimed Saudi Arabian military assets are a “legitimate target.”
• The strikes follow a Houthi attack last weekend, which killed 13 and injured 300, on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Early last month, the Houthis took effective control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a choke point for oil into Europe, by capturing Yemen’s coast along the Red Sea. That prompted Saudi Arabia to launch a new, more intensive offensive against them, which is ongoing.

Saudi Arabia recognizes it needs help fighting the Houthis. It asked for extra U.S. support last month—a request that was largely denied. But Europe is a natural partner for Saudi Arabia because of its reliance on oil from the region. The two powers have shared interests.

This conflict could help drive Saudi Arabia into an alliance with Germany. The Bible prophesies in Psalm 83 that Germany and Gulf nations will join together in a confederation. Though Iran will not be their primary target, its provocations are causing some shared interests among these nations.