Drone and missile attacks by the militant group in recent weeks have upended shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, through which some 10% of the world’s trade sails.
In recent years, the Houthi rebels have emerged as a formidable force in the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, particularly in Yemen. Their influence has extended beyond internal conflicts, with reports of attacks on Red Sea ships raising concerns on an international scale. To subscribe please click tau.id/2iy6f and access our live channel.
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The increasing attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group, in the Red Sea of the Gulf of Aden have adversely affected global trade as some of the world’s biggest shipping companies have announced to avoid the area.
To understand the motives behind these attacks, it is crucial to delve into the origins and objectives of the Houthi rebels.
Who Are The Houthi Rebels?
The Houthi rebels, formally known as Ansar Allah, are a sub-sect of Shia Muslim minority insurgent group based in Yemen. The roots of the conflict trace back to longstanding grievances and sectarian tensions in the region. The Houthi movement takes its name from its founder, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, who led the group against the Yemeni government in the early 2000s.
The group was formed in the 1990s to combat what they saw as the corruption of the then-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. President Saleh, backed by Saudi Arabia’s military, tried to eliminate the Houthi rebels in 2003, but the Houthis repelled them both.
Primarily composed of Zaidi Shia Muslims, the Houthi rebels found themselves marginalized in a predominantly Sunni country. They sought greater autonomy and representation, alleging discrimination by the Yemeni government and accusing it of being subservient to external powers.
Allies & Their Motive of Houthi Rebels
The rebellious movement gained momentum with widespread discontent over economic disparities and political exclusion. The Houthis declare themselves to be part of the Iranian-led “axis of resistance” against Israel, the US and the wider West – along with Hamas and Hezbollah. The Houthi rebels model themselves on the Shia armed group in Lebanon, Hezbollah.
The conflict drew regional players into the fray, with Saudi Arabia and its allies supporting the Yemeni government, while Iran was accused of providing backing to the Houthi rebels. Hezbollah has been providing them with extensive military expertise and training since 2014. The Houthis also consider Iran as an ally, because Saudi Arabia is their common enemy.
Iran is suspected of supplying the Houthi rebels with weapons, and the US says Iranian intelligence is critical to enabling them to target ships. There is a consistency with Iran’s long-term material support and encouragement of the Houthis’ destabilizing actions in the region.
Reason Behind Red Sea Ships Attack
The attacks began after the Israel-Hamas war on October 7 when the Houthis declared their support for Hamas and said they would attack any ship travelling to Israel. Since then, they have attacked several commercial vessels with drones and ballistic missiles.
Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has said that it carried out drone attacks targeting the Israeli port city of Eilat, as well as a commercial vessel in the Red Sea, as the Iran-backed group steps up attacks that it says are a means of pressuring Israel to end its war in Gaza.
Speaking on Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group conducted drone attacks on Eilat and other areas in occupied Palestine. The group also launched missiles at an MSC United vessel in the Red Sea after it rejected three warning calls.
MSC United VIII, which was en route from King Abdullah port in Saudi Arabia to Karachi, Pakistan, came under attack on Tuesday. The statement comes several hours after a British maritime group said it received reports of an incident involving a vessel off the coast of Yemen, saying that drones were sighted and an explosion was heard.
The Houthis have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 commercial shipping vessels with links to dozens of countries. The incidents come amid high tensions in the Red Sea, where the Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels in solidarity with the Palestinians for weeks.
Houthis Power Over Yemen
The official government of Yemen is the Presidential Leadership Council, to which President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi transferred his powers in April 2022. However, the government is based in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after Hadi fled there in 2015.
Most of the Yemeni population lives in areas under Houthi control. As well as Sanaa and the north of Yemen, the Houthi rebels control the Red Sea coastline. The group collects taxes and also prints money.
According to an official report of the UN Security Council, During the year, the Houthis continued to control approximately one-third of the country’s territory, including 70 to 80 percent of the population. It also stated incidents of religious repression in Houthi-controlled areas increased by 52 percent from 2020 to 2021.
Retaliation Over Houthi’s Attack
In retaliation to the attacks, the US military has launched an international naval operation to protect the ships in the region. Several other countries including the UK, Canada, France, Spain, Bahrain, and Norway have joined the operation.
According to former ambassador Anil Trigunayat, the attacks are very dangerous for the world since trade supplies are being affected. He said that India’s 20 per cent of trade passes through the critical region. Further, Analysts have previously warned of the risk of the Israel-Hamas conflict spreading into the broader Middle East, amid hostilities from Iranian-backed groups.
