On January 11, the United States and the United Kingdom joined forces and launched an attack against Houthi targets located in Yemen. Such a move was put in motion due to the missile attacks the Houthi had launched against cargo ships that were passing through the Red Sea.
Who are the Houthis
The Houthis were not always classified as a terrorist group as they are now; instead, in the 1900s, they were a cultural group who promoted the Zaydi sect of Islam. However, they were not satisfied with the corruption in their government and launched rebellions against the Yemeni government. Later, when the president at the time resigned as a result, the Houthis launched another rebellion against the new government and president who they also felt was an inadequate choice. This in turn led to a civil war that is still raging in the region. Moreover, the new government had been backed by Saudi Arabia, and the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabians led to an alliance between Iran and the Houthis.
The main reason the Houthis attacked the merchant ships, mainly US ships, was due to the US’s support of Israel in the Israel-Gaza War. The Houthi anti-ship missile attacks were meant to demoralize and demonstrate the power they have. For instance, they are in a particularly favorable position situated next to the Red Sea, as that is the fastest sea route between Europe and Asia; furthermore, cargo ships are cheaper than air travel and carry more than 80% of all international trade.
“I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”
President biden
Some are concerned that Biden’s attacks against the Houthi should not be allowed without the Supreme Court’s approval and are a dangerous overreach of his executive authority. The US has launched multiple attacks against Houthi targets, and the UK and the US have launched two as a joint effort. One of the attacks utilized aircraft and ships to hit eight Houthi targets that were “used to attack international merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region” as explained by the US Central Command.
No one knows how the events that have taken place over this month will end. Many believe that it has the potential to spark yet another war and other countries will be forced to pick sides of the conflict.