TEHRAN- Over the past century, America established itself as an imperialist power of the world's seas and international waters. 

The United States boasts the world's most formidable aircraft carrier fleet, which, at times, can be found sailing in the South China Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and many other places far beyond American borders. 

A major element of the American hegemony in West Asia is built on its global maritime presence and naval bases. 

When its warships were targeted by Yemen's Ansarullah in the Red Sea, this was viewed as an embarrassment for the U.S., perhaps more so than its humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

When Ansarullah began its military operations against Israeli and Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea in support of Gaza, which has now expanded to include U.S. ships in the waterway, the movement sent a message to America that you are not the masters of these seas. 

On the morning of January 12, U.S. warships launched 150 bombing assaults on Yemen in addition to a follow-up attack on a radar facility 24 hours later. 

Since then, Ansarullah has fired a missile at a U.S. navy destroyer, while targeting and damaging more Israeli and U.S. vessels with missiles and drones in the Red and Arabian seas. 

Just like the Israeli army recklessly rushed into the war on Gaza and now finds itself stuck in the enclave, the U.S. (backed by Britain) also made a rash decision to attack Yemen and now finds itself bogged down in a battle with Ansarullah. 

The initial bombardment of Yemen, despite Washington hinting that it was a one-off attack, has proven to be a failure.  

To protect its image, the U.S. Central Command has, over the past four days, announced more strikes on Ansarullah positions as standing back, holding fire, and doing nothing would be a major embarrassment for President Joe Biden. 

The question, that everybody has been asking, is whether the U.S. can afford to sustain its bombing campaigns on Yemen. 

The evidence shows that it can attack Yemen but will fail to restrain Ansarullah from launching more military operations against Israeli and now U.S. vessels in the Red Sea or the Sea of Aden. 

Washington had the easier choice of informing the Israeli regime to cease its indiscriminate airstrikes on Gaza but failed to do so. 

It now finds itself in a battle with Ansarullah (again). Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder has been vague over the level of damage his department believes it has inflicted on the Sanaa government's capacity to launch missiles and drones. 

Ryder has also declined to answer questions about leaks to the New York Times suggesting little damage has been made to Ansarullah's military capability. 

It is important to point out that Ansarullah survived (and effectively triumphed) eight years of war led by the U.S. and a Saudi-led coalition, which began in March 2015. 

It's not like Ansarullah is new to this game. They have military expertise. They have a history with the U.S. also during the American-Saudi war with Yemen. 

The vast majority of bombs dropped on Ansarullah during this period were U.S.-made munitions. Throughout this time, Ansarullah staged its own attacks against Saudi targets, bypassing U.S.-made defense systems. 

The popular movement and government in Sana'a, which controls most of Yemen, has also upgraded its military technology, capacities, and tactics. It can launch missiles at Israeli and U.S. ships from the back of modified trucks. 

These modified vehicles are very easy to move around and have left experts questioning if U.S. warships stationed in the Red Sea will start going after trucks in Yemen. 

The U.S. can continue bombing Yemen and Ansarullah positions for a long time, but history suggests that Ansarullah can also retain its ability to close the Red and Arabian seas to Israeli and American shipping for a very long time as well. 

Ansarullah didn't become so popular if it had not been for the vast support its government receives back home in Yemen.

On Thursday the movement’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, called on the Yemeni people to go out on Friday in their millions to rally in support of Palestine, and participate in the funeral of the "martyrs of the American-British aggression". 

He also said it was "a great honor" to be in direct support of the Palestinians in Gaza and in confrontation with the Israelis, Americans and the British. 

Answering the call, mass demonstrations took place across Yemen on Friday, including a million-strong march in Saada governorate, under the slogan "standing with Palestine... and America is the mother of terrorism," in support of the Palestinians in Gaza and to condemn the American aggression against Yemen. 

In other provinces, the statement of the rallies was the same, vowing that the American aggression would not prevent the Yemeni people from supporting the Palestinians. 
Speakers blessed the military operations of the Yemeni armed forces that targeted Israeli and American ships and prevented navigation toward the ports in the occupied Palestinian territories. 

Others pointed out, "The United States' classification (relisting Ansarullah as a terrorist organization) targeting the Yemeni people and serving the interests of the Zionist entity will not affect Yemen's position towards Palestine." 

Ansarullah spokesperson and chief negotiator, Muhammad Abdel Salam, stated that the continuation of the American-British moves in launching raids on Yemen highlights their "insistence on continued Israeli bombardment of Gaza and protecting the Israeli entity". 

The question for the U.S. and President Biden, in particular, is how far is he willing to go against a defiant Ansarullah. Is he enthusiastic to open a new front in the Israeli war on Gaza and escalate already high tensions in the region? 

Analysts have also speculated whether Ansarullah will expand its operations against regional U.S. naval bases or if Biden will tell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israel’s massacres against Palestinian women and children in Gaza, allowing the Red Sea to return to its normal business. 

Experts believe that the longer the massacres against Palestinian civilians in the enclave continue, the ripple effect will be felt by the U.S. hegemony in the region, particularly in the Red Sea.