New bombings hit Houthi positions in Yemen this Saturday, after the insurgent group, financed by Iran, threatened to continue its actions against ships in the Red Sea, a key route for global trade. The strikes come a day after the United States and the United Kingdom struck multiple targets in the country, raising fears of a regional conflagration. Here we break down the situation in eight questions.
1. What is happening in the Red Sea and why are there attacks on ships?
Since mid-November, the Houthi militias, a Yemeni insurgent group backed by Iran, have launched dozens of attacks in the Red Sea against commercial vessels they say are linked to Israeli interests. The attacks have disrupted global maritime trade, with prices already increasing. The crisis is being felt in prices, and the cost of a barrel of crude oil has already increased by around 4 percent since the attacks.
2. Who are the Houthis and what areas of Yemen do they control?
Also known as Ansar Allah, the Houthi movement took the capital of Yemen, Sanaa, in 2014 and has since taken over large areas of the north and west of the country, where the insurgents are currently waging war with the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
3. Why did the United States and the United Kingdom decide to bomb Yemen on Friday?
Washington and London, supported by several other nations, launched attacks on several Houthi military positions on Friday, justifying the action in defense of international trade and those transiting the Red Sea. In response, the Houthi rebels declared “open war” on those countries.
4. Is a war between world powers and the Houthi rebels looming then?
This cannot be predicted. Washington and London assure that they are not seeking a confrontation with the Houthis and affirm that the attacks serve only to deter the insurgent group and limit their abilities to launch missiles and drones against cargo ships. But the rebels called the attacks “unjustifiable,” and even “terrorist,” and promised that these actions will not go unanswered.
5. How important is Iran’s support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen?
Iran supports the Houthi rebels, and with a force estimated at at least 200,000 men, this insurgent group is well-trained and accustomed to fighting in mountainous and harsh terrain. Iran’s support has further galvanized their popular base in Yemen and other countries in the region.
6. What do Yemenis say about the threat of a new conflict in their country?
Residents in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels are concerned that their country will be dragged into a new war that will prevent the population from recovering from the internal conflict, which has devastated the nation for a decade.
7. Would the peace process in that Middle Eastern nation be at risk?
The UN mission in Yemen warns that the bombings by the United States and the United Kingdom and the attacks by the Houthi rebels against shipping in the Red Sea endanger the efforts made to achieve peace in the punished Arab country, immersed in a war since 2014. The head of the UN mission, Hans Grundberg, has said that he “notes with great concern the increasingly precarious regional context and its adverse impact on peace efforts in Yemen and stability and security in the region”, while calling for “exercising maximum restraint” to reduce tension.
The situation is ongoing and continues to develop. Stay updated with more news at eltiempo.com.