Yemen’s Houthi rebels have warned the UK and US they will ‘pay a heavy price’ for bombing facilities used to attack international ships in the Red Sea.
The breakaway faction has repeatedly launched drones and missiles against commercial vessels in recent weeks, claiming to be attacking Israeli ships in support of Palestine.
It accused the West of ‘blatant aggression’ and after airstrikes on Friday hit dozens of targets, vowing to respond with ‘punishment or retaliation’.
Britain has walked a tightrope over Yemen’s civil war for the last decade – keep reading to find out who’s involved and why some fear the situation could escalate into a full-blown war in the region.
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Who are the Houthi rebels?
The Houthi movement is a political and military group that follows a minority strand of Islam called Zaydism, and draws its name from an ancient Arab tribe from northern Yemen called the Houthis.
Following rising instability in the wake of the Arab Spring, they seized control of the Yemeni capital of Sana’a in 2014, sparking one of the deadliest civil wars in recent history – which is still ongoing today.
Yemen’s official government, recognised by most countries including the UK, is backed by a Saudi-led coalition which Britain has supplied with weapons.
Both sides are widely believed to have carried out war crimes and atrocities against civilians, overseeing some of the worst humanitarian conditions in the world.
The Houthis are currently in control over almost all of northern Yemen, although much of the country has been devastated, with a death toll of over 150,000.
Why are Houthis attacking ships in the Red Sea?
Houthi forces have launched dozens of drone and missile strikes on commercial vessels since November 19, most of which have been intercepted.
The faction say its goal is to ‘prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Arab and Red Seas in support of the oppressed Palestinian people’.
In reality, though, almost all the targets have been international trading ships – some making port in Israel, many simply passing through to other parts of the world.
One of the first incidents – when the Houthis hijacked what they claimed was an Israeli cargo ship in November – actually involved a British-owned ship run by a Japanese firm and staffed by crew from all around the world.
More recently, a Houthi spokesperson said any ship destined for Israel is a ‘legitimate target’. The UN’s shipping watchdog has since confirmed that the Houthis are continuing to attack ships with no links to Israel whatsoever.
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Why are the UK and US attacking the Houthis?
The West has come under heavy pressure to protect trade – around 15% of all seaborne trade uses the Red Sea, and an estimated 20% of the world’s container ships are now having to avoid the area.
They instead have to travel around Africa – adding up to 6,000 nautical miles, or three to four weeks’ travelling per journey – while vessels continuing to sail through the area are now having to pay 10 times more for insurance.
British shoppers could see price increases of 5 to 10% on staple foods, the Institute of Export and International Trade has warned, adding that small businesses in the UK could soon have to pay three-and-a-half times as much to import goods from China.
The Houthis have repeatedly ignored warnings to stop, and launched one of their biggest attacks on Tuesday: three missiles and 20 drones aimed at a US vessel, all of which were shot down.
Rishi Sunak has said strikes against Houthi sites are ‘limited, necessary and proportionate in self-defence’, and aim to ‘to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping’.
Speaking on Friday, he added: ‘This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade.’
President Biden said the ‘targeted’ strikes aim to show that ‘the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation’.
Could the UK go to war in Yemen?
The PM’s choice of words underlines how he does not want to get sucked into full-blown conflict with the Houthis.
Britain has for the the last seven years supplied weapons to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels, and sees Saudi Arabia as a ‘diplomatic, military and economic’ ally.
Getting too involved could trigger a stand-off with Iran – which is widely seen as locked in a ‘new cold war’ with Saudi Arabia – risking potentially catastrophic consequences for global stability.
The UK’s ‘limited’ objectives are clear to see in the choice of targets for its strikes: two sites used to launch attack drones and missiles.
The stated aims of the US are the same, although Washington’s language and choice of targets hint that it may also be trying to send a broader message to the Houthis.
As well as arms depots and logistical hubs, American strikes hit some of the rebels’ air defence systems. President Biden has also warned he ‘will not hesitate’ to order further strikes if necessary.
A joint statement on Thursday from the US, Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and South Korea said the ‘aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea’.
Who supports the Houthis?
Yemen’s Houthis are backed by Iran, which began increasing its aid to the group in 2014 as the civil war broke out.
Iran’s theocratic government follows the Shia branch of Islam, of which the Houthi’s Zaydist belief system is a strand.
Iran has given the militants training and an array of sophisticated weapons and military technology, with the alleged help of Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist group.
The West has accused Iran of involvement in the Red Sea attacks and ordering the Houthis and other Middle Eastern militias to carry out their attacks on Israel, which Iran denies
The UN Panel of Experts on Yemen previously found that Iran has ‘failed to take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer’ of various ballistic missiles that the Houthis have deployed against all the vessels.
What could happen next?
Corey Ranslem, CEO of maritime intelligence company Dryad Global, tells Metro.co.uk that he expects clashes with Yemen’s Houthis to continue for the foreseeable future.
‘During the past few weeks, the Houthis within the Red Sea, have continued to launch attacks on commercial cargo vessels including both drone and missile strikes,’ the US Coast Guard veteran says.
‘These attacks and attempted attacks take place on almost a daily basis. The US has put together the coalition, Prosperity Guardian, to counter the attacks within this region.
‘This operation involves a number of countries and the priority is to provide air cover for commercial vessels operating within this region.
‘The missile and drone launches from earlier this morning were not new, but the number of missiles and drones launched was the most we’ve seen in one attack.’
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