J.E. Dyer highlighted Iran’s new boldness all across the Middle East — and if I may weigh in, the Yemen situation looks like classic Iran: play the arsonist, then volunteer to be the fireman — for a small reward, naturally!

The spookiest bit of this latest twist of affairs is Washington’s response, as Jennifer notes. And when an official statement reads like this: “It’s our view that there can be no long-term military solution to the conflict between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels,” it almost looks like it came out of the EU.  Never shall there be a military solution to a conflict! A bit like saying, “There shall be no medical solution to a disease” — let the microbes and the antibodies negotiate their way to a compromise through the good offices of the United Nations. Let them receive an envoy from the EU! But no conflict. Nope.

I can picture the fear running through the spines of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as they hear Washington’s tone quickly aligning itself with the discourse of those pugnacious Eurocrats.