On March 15, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the country’s armed forces to launch an attack on Yemen’s Houthis. The operation involves aircraft from U.S. and British carrier strike groups, supported by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other American allies. The bombings targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, as well as the governorates of Dhamar, Saada, Hajjah, and others. Among the U.S. airstrike targets were weapons and explosives manufacturing facilities in Al-Bayda, a Houthi camp and arms depots near Saada, the military police camp in Dhamar, and various military and civilian infrastructure sites. Reports indicate damage in the port of Hodeidah as well. With this, Iran is losing its last proxy. By launching large-scale military operations, the coalition is sending a message to the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) about the consequences it may face should it refuse to negotiate over its nuclear and missile programs.
A day before this event, on March 14, 2025, delegations from Iran and Russia were visiting China, where discussions centered on the new Iranian nuclear deal that the U.S. is pushing for. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated, “We must buy time for peace, resolve disputes through political and diplomatic means, and oppose the use of force and illegal sanctions.” The Kremlin supported Beijing’s stance, but this does not necessarily mean that China and Russia will take any concrete actions beyond rhetorical statements to defend Iran’s sovereignty. While China relies heavily on energy supplies from the Islamic Republic, neither it nor Russia is willing to engage in a direct confrontation with the U.S. and NATO.
Source: Reuters
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging negotiations and warning of potential consequences should Iran refuse. The U.S. president made it clear to Tehran that it must choose between limiting its nuclear program and risking a military attack. However, Iran officially rejected direct negotiations, stating that it would not engage in talks “until the sanctions imposed on it are lifted.”
On Saturday, Khamenei condemned the “aggressive governments” seeking to impose restrictions on Iran in a social media post, though he did not mention U.S. President Donald Trump by name. Meanwhile, moderate Iranian leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, have expressed a willingness to begin negotiations. However, the final decision rests with Khamenei. Iran’s goal is to ensure that the U.S. “at the very least refrains from imposing new sanctions to demonstrate its goodwill,” as the country struggles under severe economic restrictions that have crippled its economy. The situation is dire-the black-market exchange rate for the Iranian rial has plummeted to 930,000 per U.S. dollar.
Ayatollah Khamenei, however, remains firm in his stance: “Negotiations with the U.S. will yield no results-they will only deepen the sanctions. If we enter negotiations under maximum pressure from the other side, we will be in a weak position from the outset and achieve nothing.”
A deal or a military confrontation?
In an interview with Fox News, the U.S. president stated, “There are two approaches to Iran-military action or a deal. I would prefer a deal... We can strike a deal that would be just as good as a military victory. But time for that is running out.”
In another speech, Trump remarked that the U.S. was “putting the final touches on its approach to Iran.” He promised, “Something will happen very soon.”
Source: PRES TV
That “very soon” now appears to have arrived, as evidenced by the fires raging in Sanaa, Hodeidah, and beyond. The situation in Yemen is escalating, putting enormous pressure on Iran’s leadership to reconsider its stance. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, echoing Supreme Leader Khamenei, responded to Washington’s threats by stating, “It is unacceptable for them to issue orders and threats. I will not even negotiate with you. Do whatever you want.”
In light of this statement and the general stance of Iran’s leadership, China, Iran, and Russia recently held joint naval exercises named “Maritime Security Belt 2025.” The name of the drills resonates with China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative. The maneuvers took place in the Gulf of Oman, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil shipments pass.
Analyzing the significance of these exercises, Al Jazeera noted, “These drills are not limited to the military aspect; they also have a political and economic dimension, reflecting the priorities of the participating countries in light of growing Western pressure. These nations seek to strengthen their defense partnership amid mounting global challenges.”
A total of 20 warships participated in the drills, including the Russian Pacific Fleet’s flagship, the missile cruiser Varyag, and the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov. This show of force, however, pales in comparison to the three U.S. and British carrier strike groups currently deployed in the region.
Strategic implications
The choice of location for the exercises carried significant strategic importance, as they were conducted near the Iranian port of Chabahar, which has direct access to the Indian Ocean. Chabahar serves not only as a naval base but also as a key hub for regional economic projects, making it central to Iran’s international trade and logistics.
Despite these developments, Trump dismissed concerns about the joint naval drills, stating, “We are not worried about the joint naval exercises of Russia, China, and Iran. The U.S. military is currently far more powerful than the armed forces of Russia, China, and Iran combined.”
In this context, neither Iran nor Russia is a primary concern for U.S. leadership. The White House’s main priority remains its potential confrontation with China. The Iranian conflict, therefore, is largely tied to ensuring the security of America’s key allies, who have long viewed the Iranian regime as a destabilizing force. Additionally, if the Iranian regime were to collapse, China would lose a critical supplier of hydrocarbons, slowing its rise as the world’s leading superpower.
