Bulletin From The Borderlands Weekly Round Up
Bulletin From The Borderlands Weekly Round Up
Middle East and Central Asia
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Regional Wrap-Up: Middle East/Central Asia
Desk Chief- Eric Sheppler
Regional Flashpoints
An Israeli-constructed road effectively splitting Gaza in two has reached the Mediterranean coast, according to Satellite imagery. The road, which the IDF has said is being used to “establish an operational foothold in the area”, stretches across the width of the enclave from the Israeli-Gaza border and separates northern Gaza, including Gaza city, from the South of the Strip.
The first fatal attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea since Houthi rebels began targeting shipping in the region, took place on Mar 6th. At least 3 crew members of the Liberian-owned M/V True Confidence were killed when the ship was hit by a Houthi ballistic missile.
Notable Regional Updates
U.S. Military aircraft have begun airdropping supplies into Gaza. U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo planes began dropping foodstuffs into the Gaza enclave on Mar 2. This was succeeded by the Biden administration’s announcement that it will begin to construct a port facility in Gaza to allegedly ease the delivery of humanitarian aid, further driving a political wedge between the Biden administration and the Israeli leadership in Tel Aviv.
CIA director William Burns quietly traveled to the region to again press for a hostage/cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel. Director Burns’ arrival in Doha Qatar Friday Mar 8th, comes in the wake of President Biden’s State of the Union address where the President stated that Israel “must do its part” to alleviate the suffering of civilians in the Palestinian enclave.
Low voter turnout in Iranian Parliamentary elections on Mar 1st could spell trouble for the government as a record number of voters stayed home in defiance of the regime’s calls to vote
Looking Forward/Implications
President Biden’s message to Israel during the State of Union address on Thur Mar 7th may indicate that patience with the Netanyahu government is finally beginning to wear thin over its military actions in Gaza. With civilian casualties mounting, and intense political pressure at home, it is likely that the Biden administration will begin to distance itself from the Israeli cause, or at least attempt to be seen as straddling the fence on the issue, in order to consolidate democratic support prior to a contentious election.
How the Houthi leadership and their offensive capability has not yet been annihilated is beyond the author’s understanding. The rebel movement in Yemen continues to demonstrate their desire to hold as many JDAMs as any state-level actor is willing to give them by continuing to threaten commercial shipping, as this week they have sunk one vessel, and critically damaged another, causing fatalities. The deterrence effect that U.S. and allied forces had hoped for has apparently not succeeded. Whether or not retaliatory strikes will increase in response to this week’s events is unknown. However, absent a significant degradation in Houthi offensive capabilities, the danger in the Red Sea will continue.
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