This invented Yemen crisis can be laid mostly onto the Saudi doorstep. I can’t think of any logical reason for US forces...even Special Forces....to be in Yemen. If you look at the typical game there....folks get kidnapped and held until someone pays off a tribe or group of thugs. It amazes me that the Saudis even felt it was in their national interest to be in Yemen.
Let the Arab Muslims solve their own damned issues, it is not our nation and not our problem and getting involved will only make it worse.
The President of Yemen, Hadi, was ousted by an Iranian-backed faction called the Houthis. If the Houthis had maintained control of Yemen then Iran would have been able to control the sea lanes in the Gulf of Aden. Pre-Obama, it would have been a clear national interest of the US, to see that this not happen. But Obama was at this time in the process of negotiating his treaty with the Mullahs, so the US refused to help the Saudis. (US did help with mid-air refueling of coalition planes) The Saudis panicked, formed a coalition with other Sunni nations including Egypt and the UAE, and began the process of ousting Iranian proxies from power in Yemen.
The coalition was winning until the Iranians got their money from the Nuke treaty, and ever since the Iranians have seemingly halted the coalition's progress. Hadi has returned to Yemen, but there is now a stalemate. Negotiations with Houthis going no where because Houthis are emboldened by resurgent Iranian backing.
This is a very important war for American interests, that is, if we still consider the Iranians to be enemies, and the Egyptians and Saudis to be friends. Who knows now?
Saudis viscerally hate Shia Iran, and didn't want them right on their border, or in control of Aden. Since Obama seems to favor Iran, I'm rooting' for the Saudis in this one.