A new wave of terror and bloodshed has exploded in the latest failed state of the Middle East. The already destabilized Yemen has seen a week of increased upheaval and turmoil that threatens to draw the major Arabic powers into direct confrontation.

Houthi rebels have called on all supporters to attack institutions that remain under the control or influence of the government. The radical Shiite group termed the move a “general mobilization” against forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. In response, Hadi—who has fled the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa—said Yemen had experienced a coup, and called for international intervention.

The embattled president-in-exile has come under increased pressure in recent days. Houthi forces have conducted airstrikes on Hadi’s current headquarters in the city of Aden. The ousted president has called Aden home since being driven out of the capital over a month ago. So far he has been unable to wrest back any power from the Houthis.

Tensions spiked in the wake of a string of suicide bombings that killed 142 people and wounded 350 others on March 20. The Islamic State claimed it orchestrated the bombings, which targeted mosques frequented by the Houthis.

The violence is tearing apart the nation. Iranian militias are gaining territory and they must defend it against Sunni insurgents and the remnants of pro-government forces.

The major powers in the country are about to engulf it in civil war. Yet the one nation that has the power to stop it is nowhere to be found. Where is the United States?

Within the past week, al Qaeda in the Arabiian Peninsula (aqap) took control of a town close to America’s last military post in Yemen. It was the last straw for Washington. Within hours, the last 100 U.S. military personnel in Yemen were evacuated.

The soldiers had been stationed at the air base to establish communication lines, train Yemeni troops, gather intelligence, and spearhead the drone program. Over the course of America’s drone war in Yemen, hundreds of strikes have been carried out.

White House spokesmen claimed that U.S. servicemen were not in danger, but were removed as a precaution. Danger or not, the now empty al-Annad U.S. Air Force base is a stark condemnation against Washington. The U.S. has abandoned the country to the powers that be.

And those powers are not pulling out—they are moving in.

Yemen epitomizes the Sunni-versus-Shiite proxy war. As violence increases, Saudi Arabia and Iran seem likely to tear the nation apart before letting the other gain the upper hand.

The latest push by the Houthis came a day after Iran gave them 185 tons of weaponry. The armaments show how invested Iran is in the Houthi cause, and the opportunity to establish a Shiite pro-Iran power on Saudi Arabia’s doorstep. An mere extension of Iran, the Houthi would have freedom to slip across the porous border with Saudi Arabia, as well as access to and control over the southern end of the Red Sea. A Yemeni ally for Iran would be a devastating blow to the Sunnis. Iran is already capitalizing on the conflict raging from Iraq to the Levant. The addition of Yemen only tightens its control.

Undoubtedly the Saudis had hoped for a stronger response from the United States, but, as with Iraq, it has not come. At least in Iraq there was an effort—as underwhelming as it has been—by the U.S. to prevent the complete reversal of its gains made through the war. Airstrikes have aided in slowing Islamic State advances and making the battle more manageable for Iraqi forces. But in Yemen, the U.S. hasn’t even tried. America has merely retreated—abandoning the nation to its fate.

The conflict is now bound to escalate as the rival powers vie for position.

As Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in “Iran Gets a Stranglehold on the Middle East:” “The opening statement reads, “Yemen is one of the most strategically important countries in the world. Recent developments there have shocked many people and will have dramatic effects that extend far beyond the Middle East” (Trumpet, April 2015). That Trumpet issue features an article detailing Iran’s strategy to use the chaos of the Middle East to gain control. That issue also explains how the U.S. is facilitating Iran’s rise. The final withdrawal from Yemen is proof of that fact. Without U.S. intervention, and Iran quickly arming the Houthi, Tehran can soon claim Yemen as its own.

If you haven’t already, make sure you pick up a copy of the April Trumpet. Read how Iran is strangling the Middle East. You will see what makes the Trumpet different from any other publication on Earth. It illuminates where these terrible times are heading. With a full understanding of the news—Yemeni or otherwise—and its true significance, we can see the awesome future that awaits us beyond the violence that plagues the world today.