Why do attacks in Yemen raise the risk of the Gaza conflict spreading?

The Houthi rebels of Yemen challenged the United States and the United Kingdom this Friday, countries to which they declared an “open war” following the bombings against several insurgent positions that have raised fears about the opening of a new front in the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Around two in the morning on Friday in Yemen (6 in the afternoon on Thursday in Colombia), The United States and the United Kingdom launched 73 strikes against several Houthi military positions in at least six provinces in Yemen, in response to insurgent actions against merchant ships in the Red Sea.

According to the rebels' military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, These bombings left five dead among the ranks of the Houthis, who soon launched a barrage of missiles against the military ships of the international naval coalition and declared an “open war” on Washington and London.

In support of the Palestinians of Gaza, The Houthis have launched dozens of attacks since mid-November against vessels linked to Israel or that they were heading towards Israeli ports, in an attempt to exert economic pressure against the Jewish State to cease its military operations in the Palestinian enclave.

However, The repercussions of these actions on international maritime trade have forced several Western countries to respond, since more than 50 nations have been directly affected by traffic disruptions in the Red Sea, through which around 15 percent of world maritime trade transits.

(Also read: Yemen's Houthis call for protests against US and UK bombings)

The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and South Korea issued a joint statement in which they justified that the action was taken in defense of international trade and those who travel through the Red Sea.

However, The Houthis called these attacks “unjustifiable,” even “terrorist,” and promised that these actions will not go unanswered.. “The Yemeni response is legitimate within the framework of the sacred defense of Yemen (…) The Americans and the British should not believe that they will escape punishment,” said the Supreme Political Council of the insurgents.

In addition to promising that both Washington and London “will pay a high price” for these attacks, they threatened to demonstrate that “Yemen is a cemetery of invaders,” appearing impassive about a possible large-scale military intervention in the country, already burdened by a war. started in 2014.

(You can read: Houthis say that five of their members died in bombings by the US and the United Kingdom)

The bombings mainly targeted guided missile and drone launching positions that the Houthis used for their attacks in the Red Sea, and were intended to destroy the military capabilities of the insurgents, according to Washington.

However, the insurgents assured that they will continue to prevent the navigation of ships towards Israel. “Yemen continues its religious and human stance, and will stand by Gaza with all it can. This aggression gives it more resilience and strength,” Mohamed Abdelsalam, one of the spokespersons for the Houthis, a movement backed by Iran, said on the X network.

In fact, the British Navy reported this Friday that a missile fired at a ship off the coast of Yemen hit the water without causing casualties or damage, while it also recorded another incident off the coast of Aden.

The operation against the Houthis It came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a tour of the Middle East with the aim of creating consensus to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading.

(Also: Review of Blinken's tour in the Middle East: the main topics he addressed)

Nevertheless, Fears of an expansion of the conflict on other fronts after the bombings have set off all the alarms in the region, where Saudi Arabia was the first country to call for “moderation” and to condemn the American and British attacks directed against the insurgents.

The rest of the Arab countries followed, remembering that to avoid a new conflict it is necessary to first end the war in Gaza.

The insurgents, for their part, have recalled that they will cease their attacks on ships in the Red Sea if the war in Gaza stops first. a promise that several Western countries are calling into question due to the influence that the Houthis are gaining with these actions in support of Gaza.

The Yemeni rebels are part of the so-called “axis of resistance,” which includes anti-Israel movements in the region, such as Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as groups from Iraq and Syria.

With an estimated force of about 200,000 men, the Houthis are well trained and accustomed to fighting in Yemen's harsh, mountainous terrain.

By saying that they are attacking Israel and its American ally in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza, they have gained visibility and galvanized their popular base in Yemen, in addition to connecting with the rest of the region.

Thousands of his supporters beat the war drums in a demonstration this Friday in Sana'a in which they carried signs that said: “This is what we wanted, a confrontation with the United States.”

(Keep reading: The countries that support South Africa's complaint against Israel for genocide in Gaza)

Bombings boost oil prices

The price of Texas intermediate oil (WTI) closed this Friday with a rise of 0.9 percent, at $72.68 a barrel, driven by the conflict in Yemen, where the US and UK bombed Houthi-controlled areas.

The price of a barrel of Brent oil for delivery in March also closed in the London futures market with an increase of 1.13 percent, to 78.29 dollars, while North Sea crude oil, a reference in Europe, concluded the day on the International Exchange Futures with an increase of 0.88 dollars compared to Thursday's close, when it ended at 77.41 dollars.

Crude oil reached above $80 on the day, the first time it has reached that price so far in 2024.

(In other news: South Africa accuses Israel of 'genocide' in Gaza; Jewish state calls it 'hypocrisy')

Many shipping companies have chosen in recent weeks not to pass through the Red Sea – a vital transit for trade between Asia and Europe – due to attacks by the Houthis.

Several maritime transport companies decided to reach Europe by skirting the south of the African continent, with a huge additional cost, as well as more days of navigation.

In that panorama, Experts fear that delays in trade could lead to a rise in black gold prices, at a time when many countries in Europe are forced to deal with high inflation. They also fear that an expansion of the conflict in the region will affect oil supplies.

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
*With EFE and AFP