World War 3: Yemen war will ESCALATE as rebels target TOURIST hotspot, says analyst

fears have been enflamed over an escalating major conflict in the gulf. 

Saudi Arabia stepped up air strikes in Yemen after Houthi rebels claimed to have fired a missile at Abu Dhabi, a popular tourist hotspot.

The latest escalation in the conflict came Monday when Houthi rebels claimed that former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh had been killed and posted a gruesome video of his body online.  

Political and security analyst, Omar Nashabe, told RT that the conflict, which is seen as a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, could escalate dramatically. 

He said: “The people of Yemen, after so many years of Saudi bombardment, I don’t think they’re ready to sit and talk with the Saudi’s as if nothing happened.”

“There was a statement by the Saudi’s actually where they threatened to bomb Sanaa tonight so there’s going to be more bloodshed.”

A Houthi missile launch on Sunday targeting a nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi caused Saudi Arabia to retaliate with air strikes on the Yemen’s capital of Sanaa. 

The launch was the second time this year that the Houthi’s have said they fired a missile towards the United Arab Emirates, a popular tourist spot and Saudi ally. 

Mr Nabashe said the killing of the former President yesterday would only aggravate Saudi Arabia. 

He said: “This failure in this conspiracy will perhaps push the Saudi’s to more aggression and more destruction, that’s very unfortunate for the Yemeni people.”

Last month the rebels targeted Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile that was intercepted by Saudi air defenses. 

It was the deepest strike inside the kingdom since the war between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis and their allies began in March 2015.

Until last week, Mr Saleh’s supporters had been fighting alongside the Houthis in a war against Yemen’s government.

Saudi Arabia and its allies view the Houthi rebels as an Iranian proxy on its doorstep.

The rivalry between the two regional powers has amplified the conflict which, along with tensions between North Korea and the United States, has sparked World War 3 fears. 

Iran supports the Houthis but denies arming them.