US Air Strikes on Houthis in Yemen: Red Sea Stakes
Why in the news
The U.S. began a large wave of air strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with President Trump citing their repeated attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Key facts
- Officials call it the start of a sustained campaign that could last weeks.
- Targets: missile launchers being moved towards shipping lanes and leaders’ homes in San’a and Sa’dah.
- Aims: overwhelming force, hitting Houthi leadership (avoided under Biden), a deterrence message to Iran and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
- Houthi chief Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed retaliation; a 12-hour drone and missile attack on the USS Harry S. Truman strike group failed.
About the Houthis
- Yemeni group, officially Ansar Allah, born in the 1990s in Saada province as a Shia revivalist movement; follow the Zaydi branch.
- Backed by Iran, though both deny direct control; part of the “Axis of Resistance” with Iran and Hezbollah.
- Took Sanaa in 2014, starting a civil war with a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s recognised government.
Why ships are attacked
- Houthis say they protest Israel’s Gaza operations and target vessels tied to Israel, the U.S. or the UK in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
- Threatening key routes raises pressure on Israel and its allies.
Impact
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Attacks since Nov 2023 | Dozens of merchant ships hit by missiles, drones, small boats |
| Casualties | 2 ships sunk, 1 seized, 4 crew killed |
| Shipping | Major firms reroute around southern Africa; Suez Canal use sharply down |
Risks
- Escalation cycle; possible Houthi targeting of U.S. bases in Djibouti and the UAE, or Saudi Arabia.
- Hitting leaders may make the group more unpredictable.
- Iran’s allies Hamas and Hezbollah are weakened; the Houthis can still act on their own.
Exam angle
- Houthis: Ansar Allah, Zaydi Shia, capital Sanaa held since 2014.
- Red Sea carries about 15% of global trade.