NAVY TO YEMEN – AT 8:08 A.M. ET:  Under the ultimate command of Grand Admiral Barack Obama, the U.S. Navy has dispatched the Theodore Roosevelt strike group to waters off Yemen.  Teddy Roosevelt said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."  Admiral Obama speaks loudly and carries a small stick, but he gets things confused.  From AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a stepped-up response to Iranian backing of Shiite rebels in Yemen, the Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is steaming toward the waters off Yemen to beef up security and join other American ships that are prepared to intercept any Iranian vessels carrying weapons to the Houthi rebels.

The deployment comes after a U.N. Security Council resolution approved last week imposed an arms embargo on leaders of the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels. The resolution passed in a 14-0 vote with Russia abstaining.

Navy officials said Monday that the Roosevelt was moving through the Arabian Sea. A massive ship that carries F/A-18 fighter jets, the Roosevelt is seen more of a deterrent and show of force in the region.

The U.S. Navy has been beefing up its presence in the Gulf of Aden and the southern Arabian Sea in response to reports that a convoy of about eight Iranian ships is heading toward Yemen and possibly carrying arms for the Houthis. Navy officials said there are about nine U.S. warships in the region, including cruisers and destroyers carrying teams that can board and search other vessels.

COMMENT:   I really wonder how much America will do to intercept Iranian ships.  The nuclear talks with Iran resume this week, and Obama's main priority is nailing down an agreement, seemingly any agreement, to enhance his legacy, at least on the left. 

There are clearly going to be some tense weeks ahead, with the continuing collapse of Yemen and the the nuclear talks threatened by increasingly extreme Iranian demands. 

April 21,  2015