course happens after the houthi rebels rejected peace negotiations sponsored in doha. stay with us on al jazeera, more news at the top of the hour. we have rolling coverage on the yemen dries us. saudi led g.c.c. coalition has began a military operation in yemen air strike start he hadding houthi fighters. there is more support coming from the 10-nation coalition egypt, jordan, sudan, ma rack owe and pakistan have expressed their willingness to join the fight. several key places including the presidential palace and police headquarters have been hit. houthi tv in yemen says at least 10 people are are dead and there are reports of dozens of casualties. well, it was the saudi

ambassador to washington who announced the strikes and he wouldn't specify the extent of u.s. cooperation, the u.s. has revealed it's providing the saudis with logistical and intelligence support. but the saudi air strikes come as a critical time for the u.s. as it continues its negotiation with his iran. here is more. >> reporter: the saudi embassy in washington, d.c. was the venue chosen the audi ambassador refused to reveal what specifically his country was trying to achieve. >> the choice sim simple. abide by the process and become legitimate players in yemeni politics or they will not be allowed to take over the country country. >> so you bomb until they agree to take part in the process? >> well we do whatever it takes to prevent yep phone falling. >> several hours in to the bombing the u.s. revealed its roll in to the attack. what the white house calls a

joints cell to coordinate intelligence support. this despite u.n. signing a u.n. security council sunday calling for member states to refrain from taking any action that his undermine the sovereignty or territorial integrity of yemen. it occurred just as john kerry was getting ready to his late of rounds of attacks with his iranian county part. talks represented as going well. the iranian support the houthis who are being bombed by the saudis. it's upbeat particularly in yemen. >> i have explained it's a success and has been for many years because of their effortses to put back and counter al wide kid aal qudain em vinnie that's something that we have been doing for sometime now. >> reporter: they wonder when the policy helped lead to the latest military intervention. >> the one try thing that the u.n. can is stop dealing with u.n. as an agenda and start

listening to local experts instead of his hing to expats who only look at yemen as a war zone and as a model fighting al qaeda. >> reporter: it's clear that the administration's spokes people need to be asked some searching questions on thursday when they face the president. al jazerra washington. now, the saudi state news agency has released a joint stayed buying saudi qatar uae. kuwait and bahrain. it reads: >> the crisis in generally has been many months in the making. shia houthi fighters took over parts of the capital sanaa in september after protests against president hadi amid worsening economic conditions. the situation dee tear your 80 buying january when the houthis reject aid draft proposal and seized government little buildings and forced president hadi to resign in what was termed a coup. president hadi escaped to aden

where he denounced the houthis and maintained that he was the legitimate president of yemen. a few days ago president happened ihadicalled on thein' to stop houthi fighters. as someone who has been covering the story for a very long time now our correspondent omar al al al saleh. saying that the military operations in yemen will continue in order to achieve its objectives. what are these objectives? >> i think it's mainly to end the houthis military presence in yemen and the capita sanaa and perhaps wave the way for president hadi and his government to return back to be reinstated in the capital. >> there are some people may say president hadi is merely a

puppet ruler for the g.c.c. >> this is the criticism against hadi. and that criticism is maining coming from supporters of the toppled president al saleh and also the houthis. and say he's not only a puppet for the g.c.c. but the wider international community. they described president hadi as a traitor who is relying on western backing to rule yemen. so this is criticisms coming from the top houthi leader on a number of occasions so this is how president hadi is seen as a traitor backed by regional spins national powers. >> omar, on wednesday we saw saudi arabia massing troops on their border that they share with gem en. they -- yemen they brought heavy equipment there. that was on wednesday and said it was for self-defense, today air strikes are being conducted on the capital sanaa. how did we get from a defensive position to an attack position?

>> the everyone tension was always there when they mobilized but the plan was already faught putt in place according to saudi media out threats they are suggesting about 150,000 saudi troops, ground troops ready to launch a ground offensiving against houthi positions in in generally and the next round could involve a ground offensive against the hoes in yemen. >> right. so let's take that hypothetical situation there. let's say there are ground troops that are -- that enter yemen. let's just say the houthi rebels are then weakened. does that mean there is no more dialogue then with the houthis? >> no, i think the purpose of this campaign is to get them out

ofoffing the capital and weaken their military ability. and put the houthi in a corner and then join -- the ultimate goal is for the houthi to his join the political dialogue. >> that doesn't really solve the problem here, though, does it? the houthis themselves have their own resentment. they want to be included. >> that's true. however, the houthis were included they launched six wars before with the toppled president and their claim was that they have been marginalized. no jobs, under development in their areas. and they had legitimate quarrels. but late after saleh was toppled in 2011 and eventually left in 2012 the houthis were part of the national dialogue and they were making gain that his they have never made throughout their history. so when they took the capital of sanaa they signed ideal with the other political parties backs by the united nations and that gave

them fair representation in the government. so that claim by the houthis really doesn't stand. they do -- they did have a say in the government. and a fair share of the government positions but the houthis wanted to take it to the strings level. that's why the president was forced to resign, they wanted thousands of their fighters to be integrateed in the yemeni security forces. they had hadi point a anybody of military officers in key government and military positions to consolidate their grip on power. they were the political rising power and also the military rising power. so the houthis felt nobody can stop them so i think now they will be weakened and then i think they will have to join the political process. the gcc the united nations and all the yemeni political parties in yemen they see the houthis as a main and integral part of the political landscape in yemen

and nobody can exclude them. >> omar, thank you very much for that. that's omar al saleh speaking to us on the houthi rebels' influence in yemen. now, the saudi arabia january ambassador to the u.s. says that the operation military operation is not limited to any specific part in yemen. so far air strikes have targeted both sanaa and the port city of aden. now in sanaa the presidential palace, police and special forces headquarters have been bombed attacks were also launch odd sanaa's airport and nearby air base in aden, the air base was targeted. now, the current crisis in yemen can also be viewed in terms of competing regional interests. iran has been accused of backing its shia houthi proxies in their advance through yemen. teheran has also said to have supplied weapons and logistical support for the group. this has irked saudi arabia. now the saudis have supported different groups at different time in generally including the

former leader al sal los angeles and now hadi. observers say it's a battle for regional supremacy between saudi arabia and iran that is now playing out in yemen. and the white house press secretary spoke about the situation in yemen before the saudi led operation in sanaa was announced. >> the united states believe that his president hadi is the legitimate leader of yemen. and we have seen violent efforts on the part of the houthis and by others who are acting in concert with president saleh to full. instability inside that country. there are elements of the yemeni government that we are in touch with that continue to further our effort to his apply pressure to extremist in that country and we have capability because of the planning and the relationships that we have in the region, we do continue to have the capability to take out extremist fist they are on

posing a threat to the united states. alan fish irrelevant is in washington and files this report. >> the u.s. isn't providing planes for the operation over yemen but it is providing intelligence and lodge justice tick the support. a statement from the national security council, we are told that while the u.s. forces or not taking direct military action in yemen in support of thissest, we are establishing a joint planning cell with saudi arabia to coordinate u.s. military and intelligence support. now, the u.s. has moved essentially all of its personnel out of generally over the last few weeks but says it still has assets in the area which would be able to help saudi arabia and others while it continues its operations in yemen. there will be some disquiet about this as one person pointed out the day started with the u.s. backing iran proxies in attacks against those at that pose them in iraq and end the day attacking iran proxies in yemen and certainly while the

u.s. continues to discuss a nuclear deal with iran in switzerland many people on capitol hill will be concerned about this. they are worried about the role iran is playing in the area. remember it's just two weeks since israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu came a long to capitol hill and warned about the threat from iran not just its nuclear program but everything else that he believes that they were involved in. and so there is a concern that while this conflict needs to be contained geographically. there are much wider implications politically. in the next few hours we'll hear more reaction from the white house, state department and pentagon and those on capitol hill who are deeply worried about events in yemen and the role iran is playing. founder and ceo for the i institute of near east gull. and i ask him if an air strike

as inevitable. >> i don't think the houthis left any other room or calls for dialogue or reaching this conflict were all not heeded by the houthis on the contrary, we have seen the houthis interpret or miss -- i mean, misinterpreted all the signals that were coming from the outside and from the g.c.c. as signals of weakness. so they went about, you know, capturing more and more territory. and eventually their intentions became clear with their big push on the south, which is to have full control. [ inaudible ] that would have posed a great danger to the gulf

corpse council especially saudi arabia. with the houthi and known to be a proxy for the iranians establishing control over this strategic country that controls two strategic pathways. so here we have the reaction that we see today. let's get more analysis from our i don't want end omar al saleh who has coughed this story quite thoroughly. now, omar, we cannot get away from the issue that there is a proxy war being fought over yemen here between saudi arabia and iran. now that would seem the saudi led coalition air strikes in sanaa, how do you see teheran reacting? >> well, there hasn't been any official reaction from teheran now, but i think they will denounce the saudi-led operation or campaign against the houthis in yemen.

because we have heard in the past they warned against any military intervention and said that such a military intervention would complicate matters. i don't know to what extent iran will be involved in all of this. will they support the houthis military? i doubt. i think it will complicate things for iran even more. however, i do expect they will denounce and warn the saudis and the members of the coalition of continuing in those strikes . >> given that the houthi rebels are now in control of yemen's military equipment and a lot of those security forces have aligned themselves with the houthi rebels as well. but they are up against the saudi arabia coalition a huge coalition. are the houthis in a weaker position, do you think military any. >> i think they are. but the houthis did get a boost for their military equipment first from iran and second by seizing all of the military hardware from the yemeni bases

military bases that they overran. one think tank in yemen i remember putting an analysis suggesting that around 70% of yemen's military capabilities is now under the houthi control. and we are talking about tanks missiles antiaircraft guns, artillery and so on. so in theory, the -- most of those weapons were moved to the strong hold to the north which borders saudi arabia, in theory if the houthis wanted to strike saudi within their own territory i think they can. but the bigger picture of the widal battles, i don't think there is a match between the saudi arabia's power, military power, with the houthis and then you have a coalition of 10 countries, so i don't think the houthis have the upper hand. >> where does this -- i want to go back to the issue of iran and we were talking a little earlier about iran's rise and rise in the region, shall we say. where do you think this then

leaves or iran's quest for the shiite crest? >> i think iran is obviously rising and it's expanding its influence and control over a number of countries, at least four arab countries and they have a presence in other countries. that crescent which is mainly from lebanon syria then iraq and iran and goes back to the east parts of saudi arabia, i think the arabs the sunni arabs, let's say who are worried from the rise of the shia iran are trying yemen as the first theater to counter the houthi -- the iranian influence. i am speculating here, but possibly this could lead to another military intervention in another -- in a number of areas and why i say that, simply because the saudis and the gulf and other arab countries

including egypt led by president sisi have a mistrust towards the americans, because the americans when they decided to go to the peaceful way with iran, immediately the gulf countries realized that any deal with iran over its nuclear issue would be at the expense of those countries and then if that deal is reached that will give iran more influence more say in the region at the expense of the arab countries and i think this is the breaking point with the arab countries that's why we have heard in the last months and possibly going to be discussed in the upcoming air action summit the idea of creating a military intervention force to the get involved in arab issues which affect the wider arab security as a whole. >> very interesting omar, thank you very much for that, omar al saleh speaking for us on the impact of the air strikes on yemen. well, earlier i spoke with

robert grain year and i asked had immaterial about the timing of the saudi air strikes. >> i don't think well see a large ground strike. i don't think we'll see that now. however, as the situation on the ground has deteriorated as. [ inaudible ] has been forced to flee has been put in a position where they can't mount a counterattack against either president saleh or the houthis the saudis felt they needed to take some sort of action apparently in order to get the attention of the houthis and try to drive some sort of negotiation. >> they certainly have gotten their attention, we know now that at least three houthi commanders have been killed in the air strikes. what is the goal of these air strikes? will the houthis be force the back to the negotiating table? or will they continue to fight

the -- this coalition? >> this is not just a struggle between the saudis and the houthis. remember what the houthis are doing right now really needs to be understood in the context of a very, very complicated political equation inside yemen. and the houthis for their current reach depend very much on the support of the military accounts which means that they are dead pending very much on this alliance of convenience with former president saleh. it's not clear how long this will continue. i suspects some of their aims are divergent at this point. but, again it's the saudis i think are trying to create a situation where they increase the cost to the houthis of continuing along the current line i suspect that former president saleh has his own objectives in all of this. and it remains very much to be seen how those multiple

political equations are going to play out. but i think that ultimately we are going to have to get to negotiations. >> mr. gray near, i want to pick on your counter terrorism ex-piece teaseexpertise now we also know that al qaeda in the a rape i didn't know peninsula operate in southern yemen we know there is an isil threat in the region as welling, are you about to predict these two forces will take opportunity of the conflict that's happening in yemen and perhaps try to further their agenda in yemen? >> one of the great irony in all of that it's the saudi perception that what we see going on is essentially a sectarian war inside yemen one being taken advantage of by the a iranians and therefore working against the saudis' overall strategic interest in the region, in this region-wide

struggle if you will. that the saudis feel themselves to be involved in with yemen. to the extends that the yemenis themthemselves see the conflict no those terms that stokes further opposition among sunni tribals particularly in the southern part of the country against the houthis. while yemenis see the strug in the sectarian terms it's those on the sunni side of that equation who are able most effectively to wrap themselves in the meant of islam who are able to take advantage therefore that means sharia, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula and further north in the country so one of the great ironies in all of this is that the saudis, if anything may well be driving an unintended consequence of increasing the strength of the radical extremist groups in yemen who also pose a great threat to them. >> we can tap on our

correspondent omar al saleh who has covered yemen quite extensively now. omar you have spoken to many yemenis while covering this story. how do they feel about what's happening in their country with the houthis can advance and with president hadi now fleeing? >> they were very disappointed. and sad. because they had a glimmer of hope when the toppled president left office in 2000 -- late 2011 and early 2012. they hoped that yemen would be transformed to a democratic state being stable state to create jobs and improve the economics yemen 60 specials of its pop place are under the poverty line. they were saddened to the institution and the states collapse before a rebel group. they didn't realize what was happening, what was the inside politics of all of that. and then i think when everything was clear that the houthis couldn't have done so without

the backing of the former president they start today feel the anti-houthi sentiment starting to rise. i saw a anybody of protests. they were small in numbers in the beginning but then they start today grow bigger in the capital sanaa and other parts of the country. i think they were really saddened by what happened. >> at the same time the pro houthi movement also started to rise this is a country that's really divided? >> absolutely. what happens the events of september last year when the houthis took control of the capital changed the landscape once and for all i think. houthis became the rising star politically, militarily, but the suspicion towards the houthis also start to the increase, they do have support. i think the effort mats, the houthis are, of course a branch of islam. they represent somewhere between 50, up to 25%. so in terms of numbers, they are not quite big -- they are

sizable minority. their support started in the areas where there is traditional houthi presence from the north towards the capital sanaa. then when you leave the capita sanaa south for that support really dwindled. the good thing about this whole conflict if there is anything good about it, given the widal middle east proxy wars, the rising sectarian tensions everything thought this was a shiny-shia clash. however it wasn't the case in yemen. now for the last several months after the houthis took over the capital that sentiment, you can start feeling it. when you go to mosques you see shias as well as the. [ inaudible ] and pray together in the same mosque even if the rebel houthis are controlling the capital. and i think that played -- al qaeda tried to ex-floyd it and

play on the fears of people saying this is another shia power trying to sears control of the country at the expense of the county population, yep sen a largely mainly sunni population, so the good thing about it didn't go the second sectarian way like syria and iraq. >> omar, stay with us, i want to come back to you about the issue you of al qaeda in yemen a little later on, but let's get someone else's point of view on the issue and hakim is the editor-in-chief of the yemen post. and he is in sanaa where the air strikes have taken place, he spoke to my colleague a little earlier by skype. >> dramatic suddenly one hour ago the entire capital shook. everyone woke up and the attacks happened quickly. in the areas of capital sanaa. as of now the targets have been the sanaa national airport the air force headquarters. houthi targets houthi

headquarters the council offices, the gathering points, anything that had a houthi forces, even the missile by grade in sanaa would also attack. so this is a full-scale war right now in sanaa starting one hour ago and by morning we'll know the damages, we cannot see the damages, we cannot leave our houses because of the nightfall. by early morning think sanaa will be different than it was an hour ago. >> are the air strikes continuing as we speak? >> they are nonstop every second. you hear by the second a different location around sanaa of so that's why i said earlier that the sanaa of the morning will be different than the sanaa of last night. completely different. and all these air strikes for sure will have had a result especially since now we have to come from the airport that they targeted the yemeni military airport directly, trying to

handicap the airport and have succeeded ahead cord to go unofficial we have talked. >> you said they have been targeting the military airport. what about the main civilian airport? >> they are targeting the civilian airport only in areas where the military airports are located it's not the airport being attacked the military war planes located within the airport. >> now, did this attack take you by surprise? >> again everyone in sanaa had to wake up. it began with a massive explosion that shook all the houses of sanaa. people got up and went to the streets thinking that the explosion happened next door. while everyone in the capital sanaa 40 miles way thought the same thing. it was a heavy explosion to begin with since then the explosions have not stopped. >> i was actually trying to find out if you were expecting any

sort of strike of this form? we have been hearing for the last few days that the saudi forces have been massing troops along the border about, there were no indications whatsoever, were there of air strikes like this? >> there were no indications but the houthis right now are using antiaircraft missile to his insure that the air strikes do not succeed. again they took the houthis by surprise especially with this late hour of the day. and that these attacks did not happen while president hadi was fleeing in aden or running away or was being defeated it happened during the fight fall when people did not expect and the houthis thought that victory for them was a given. right now it's a different scenario and the houthis will have a hard time convincing the yemenis that this war is not their fault. >> is the -- are the air strikes taking place just in saw nah

from what you understand? >> as of nah. had has been explosions and gunfire in the streets of aden. but the target right now is sanaa. taking place just in sanaa from >> people must be panicking is there any place to flee and get cover? >> people are trying to find basement and place to harbor, keep their children safe in sanaa. again this just started. people are just starting to panic, by team tomorrow when the damages are seen and destruction, then people will really start panic. >> a member of the houthi governor council says this will trigger an all-out war in the region. >> i do expect the houthis within this week to start invading saudi arabia, that's what their