2024-01-12 11:53:42
The United States and Britain targeted Houthi sites in Yemen through air and sea strikes, in response to attacks carried out by the group on ships in the Red Sea, which they say were in solidarity with what the Palestinian Gaza Strip is being exposed to. This development threatens a regional expansion of the war between Israel and Hamas. What is this group and what is its relationship with the “Axis of Resistance” and Iran?
Published on: 01/12/2024 – 12:53
4 minutes
In an escalation that expands regionally The war between Israel and HamasI hit United States and Britain From the air and sea satellite sites For the Houthis In Yemen, in response to attacks carried out by the group on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis say that they only target ships linked to Israel and that their actions come in solidarity with what the Palestinians are exposed to in Gaza.
Inside witnesses confirmed Yemen Archyde.com reported that explosions occurred in several areas of the country. US President Joe Biden warned in a statement issued late Thursday evening that he would not hesitate to take further measures if necessary.
Here are some details regarding the Iran-aligned Houthi movement:
Historical overview
In the late 1990s, the Houthi family established in the far north of Yemen a religious revival movement for the Zaidi Shiite sect that had once ruled Yemen in the past, but whose stronghold in the north of the country had become marginalized and impoverished.
As disputes with the government escalated, the Houthis fought a series of guerrilla wars with the national army and also entered into a brief border dispute with Saudi Arabia.
Yemen is between the control of the Houthis and the internationally recognized government
The war in Yemen began in late 2014 when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa. Concerned regarding Iran’s growing influence near Saudi Arabia’s borders, the Kingdom intervened at the head of a Western-backed coalition in March 2015 in support of an internationally recognized government backed by Riyadh.
The Houthis took control of large areas of the north of the country and other major urban centers, while the internationally recognized government took Aden as its headquarters.
Yemen has witnessed relative calm for more than a year amid UN-led peace efforts. Saudi Arabia is holding talks with the Houthis in an attempt to get out of the war. But the attacks carried out by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea increased the risks of the conflict for Saudi Arabia.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea
The Houthis say their attacks on Red Sea shipping routes are a show of support for the Palestinians and Hamas in the war once morest Israel.
The attacks disrupted international trade and forced international shipping companies to make the longest journey around the southern tip of the African continent to avoid being targeted. The increased cost of transporting goods and shipments has raised fears of a new wave of high inflation in the world.
The United States says that Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands supported the operation once morest the Houthis, and Washington sought to portray the air strikes as part of international efforts to restore the free flow of trade in a major route linking Europe to Asia that witnesses regarding 15 percent of international shipping operations.
The “Axis of Resistance” and the relationship with Iran
The Houthis are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance that includes Iranian-backed armed groups in the region: Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
The Houthis announced that they had launched drones and missiles at Israel and pledged to continue attacks “until the Israeli aggression stops.” The Houthis raise the slogan: “Death to America, death to Israel, curse on the Jews, victory for Islam.”
The Houthis have established relations with Iran, but it is unclear how deep they are. The Saudi-led coalition accuses Iran of arming, training and financing the Houthis. Iran and the Houthis denied these accusations. The coalition also says that Hezbollah in Lebanon is helping the Houthis, something the Lebanese group denied.
While Iran praises the Houthis as part of the “axis of resistance,” experts on Yemeni affairs say their main motivation is a local agenda, despite sharing a political vision with Iran and Hezbollah. The Houthis deny that they are agents of Iran and say they are fighting a corrupt regime.
France 24/Archyde.com
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