Middle East crisis: Houthis claim deadly attack on commercial ship near Yemen

The United States and a handful of allies, including Britain, have hit back. carrying out rocket attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen and further spotlighting the militia and its long-standing armed struggle. Last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs designated the Houthis as a terrorist organizationwhere warnings were followed to crack down on the group.

Here’s a primer on the Houthis and their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Who are the Houthis?

The Houthis, led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, are supported by Iran group of Shias militants who have been fighting Yemen’s government for about two decades and now control the country’s northwest and the capital Sana.

They have built their ideology around opposition to Israel and the United States, seeing themselves as part of the Iranian-led “axis of resistance,” along with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Their leaders often draw parallels between American-made bombs defeat their forces in Yemen and the poor sent to Israel and used in Gaza.

In 2014, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened to try to restore the country’s original government after the Houthis seized the capital, starting a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Last April, talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia raised hopes of a peace deal that might recognize the Houthis’ right to rule northern Yemen.

The Houthis were once a group of poorly organized rebels strengthened their arsenal in recent years, and it now also includes cruise and ballistic missiles and long-range drones. Analysts credit this expansion to support from Iran, which has supplied militias across the Middle East to expand its own influence.

Why are they attacking ships in the Red Sea?

When the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, the Houthis declared their support for the people of Gaza and said they would target any ship traveling to or leaving Israel.

Yahya Sarea, a Houthi spokesman, has repeatedly said the group is attacking ships to protest the “murder, destruction and siege” in Gaza and to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Authorities in Gaza say more than 30,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign and ground offensive that began after Hamas carried out cross-border raids and, according to Israeli authorities, killed around 1,200 people.

While the Houthis initially vowed to attack all ships with ties to Israel, they have since said their attacks are also in retaliation for “US-British aggression” against them. Most of the ships that have been attacked have no apparent ties to Israel and are not bound for Israeli ports.

Since November, the Houthis have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The last was Wednesday, when the Houthis claimed an attack on a commercial ship off the coast of Yemen that Western officials said killed two people and injured at least six others. The attack marked the first fatalities from Houthi attacks since the group began targeting ships.

How will the attacks affect countries around the world?

Speaking to reporters in Bahrain on January 10, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned that continued Houthi attacks in the Red Sea could disrupt supply chains and in turn increase the cost of everyday goods. The Houthis’ attacks have hit ships linked to more than 40 countries, he said.

Shipping companies have been there left with difficult options.

Diverting ships around Africa adds 6,000 kilometers and ten days to shipping lanes and requires more fuel. But continuing to use the Red Sea would increase insurance premiums. Either option would cause a bruise the already fragile global economy.

In addition to crucial shipping lanes, the waters off Yemen are a crucial location for undersea cables that carry email and other digital traffic between Asia and the West. Three of these Cables were turned off Tuesday, raising concerns about whether the conflict in the Middle East is now beginning to threaten the global internet. The cause of the damage is still unclear, but suspicion centers on the Houthis, who have denied responsibility.

What has the US done to stop the Houthi attacks?

The Biden administration has repeatedly condemned Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and assembled a naval task force to try to contain them.

The task force, called Operation Prosperity Guardian, brought together the United States, Britain and other allies and patrolled the Red Sea to promote, in Mr. Blinken’s words, “the freedom of navigation” and “the freedom of navigation.” to keep.

Bahrain is the only Middle Eastern country to have agreed to this Participate. While many countries in the region rely on trade passing through the Red Sea, many do not want to be associated with the United States, Israel’s closest ally, analysts say.

US and British warships intercepted some Houthi missiles and drones before reaching their targets.

Last month, American and British fighter planes hit 18 targets spread across eight locations in Yemen Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, unmanned aerial systems for one-way attacks, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.

The United States had done that before hit five Houthi military targetsincluding an undersea drone, in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

In January, American fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with four other warships, flew intercepted 18 dronesTwo anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the Central Command said in a statement. US Navy helicopters in December sank three Houthi boats who attacked a commercial freighter.

Ben Hubbard, Peter Eavis, Helene Kuiper, Erik Schmitt And Keith Bradsher reporting contributed.