Who are Yemen's Houthi rebels and why did the US and UK attack them?

Yemen's Houthi rebels, a force backed by Iran, declared this Friday “legitimate targets” of its operations are the interests of the United States and the United Kingdom, due to the bombings carried out by those countries in this country located at the entrance to the Red Sea.

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“All American and British interests have become legitimate targets of the Yemeni armed forces following the direct and declared aggression against the Republic of Yemen,” the Houthi Supreme Political Council said in a statement.

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The Houthis, backed by Iran, control about a third of Yemen and have a battle-hardened, well-trained force.

The United States and the United Kingdom, with the support of other countries, launched this morning a total of 73 attacks against Houthi military positions in several provinces in northwestern Yemenwhich also caused the death of five combatants, according to the insurgents themselves.

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These two and eight other countries (Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and South Korea) justified the action to protect the security of the Red Sea, where the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks against ships. trade to put economic pressure on Israel in the midst of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Who are Yemen's Houthi rebels?

The Houthis have the support of Iran, a regional power and archrival of Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni rebels are part of the so-called “axis of resistance”, a concept that includes anti-Israel movements in the region, such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as groups from Iraq and Syria.

Shortly after the start of the war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, sparked by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli soil, the Houthis multiplied attacks off the Yemeni coast against commercial ships that they said were linked to Israeli interests.

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A way to show solidarity with the Palestinians of Gazaconstantly bombed by the Israeli army.

The United States decided to deploy warships in the Red Sea and launch an international force to guarantee security in this area through which 12 percent of world trade passes. At the same time, it accuses Iran of encouraging these attacks, something that Tehran denies.

The main shipping companies worldwide continue to adjust their routes to avoid sailing through this sea route, through which almost 15% of global maritime trade transits, including 8% of the world's grain trade, 12% of the oil trade and 8% of the global maritime trade. % of world trade in liquefied natural gas.

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Why did the United States and the United Kingdom attack them?

This Friday, the United States and the United Kingdom bombed positions of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, which threaten maritime transport in the Red Sea in “solidarity” with the Palestinians in Gaza, from where Hamas warned that these attacks will have regional “repercussions.”

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Houthis have launched numerous attacks in the Red Sea, forcing many shipowners to avoid the area, making transportation between Europe and Asia more expensive and delayed.

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According to the US military, Since November 19, this rebel group that controls part of Yemen launched a total of 27 attacks near the Bab al Mandeb Strait that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa.

In response, the United States deployed warships and forged an international coalition in December to protect this route through which 12% of world trade transits.

“Today's actions demonstrate a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international trade and defending seafarers' lives from illegal and unjustifiable attacks,” stated Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Yemen's internationally recognized government accused the Houthi rebels of “dragging the country into a scenario of military confrontation.” “The Government holds the Houthi militias responsible for dragging the country into a scenario of military confrontation for propaganda purposes,” the Executive said in a statement carried by the official Yemeni Saba news agency.

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Likewise, he indicated that he continues “with great concern the military escalation in the country” and justified the American and British attacks “in response to the continuous attacks and threats of the Houthi terrorist militias” against maritime security in the Red Sea and the Strait. from Bab al Mandeb.

On the other hand, he accused the insurgents of “depending on the orders of the Iranian regime, serving its projects in the region at the expense of the interests of the Yemeni people.”

Are the Houthis a risk to the West?

With a force estimated a few years ago at at least 200,000 men, The Houthis are well trained and accustomed to fighting in Yemen's harsh, mountainous terrain.. After taking the capital Sanaa in 2014, they took over large areas of the country, the poorest in the Arabian Peninsula.

Its long-range missiles and drones, developed with Iranian technology, are, according to rivals, considered a serious threat to its Gulf neighbors.

In the past, the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, members of the military coalition that has supported the Yemeni government against the rebels since 2015.

After fighting the Houthis for more than eight years, Riyadh began talks with them last year, hoping to end a long conflict that devastated the country and caused a dire humanitarian situation.

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Despite the death of thousands of combatants, the Houthis continue to attract young recruits in this country of 30 million inhabitants, plunged into one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet.

By saying that he attacks Israel and its American ally in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza, The Houthis have gained visibility and galvanized their popular base in Yemen, in addition to connecting with the rest of the regionexperts point out.

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A Shiite component

Coming from the north, the Houthis were formed as a movement in the 1990s to fight against the marginalization suffered by their religious community, the Zaidites, a branch of Shiite Islam in this Sunni-majority country.

The Zaidites had their heyday in northern Yemen with the establishment of an imamate (a political regime led by an imam) in the 9th century, which lasted until the 20th century.

In the territories they control, The Houthis have imposed very strict social and religious norms, which particularly concern women.

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
*With information from AFP and EFE