US, allies attack Houthis in Yemen: Why, who are the Houthis?
Who are the Houthis? US, UK strikes in Yemen
For some, the Houthi Rebels in Yemen are a recent headline. However, FOX 26's Tom Zizka reports on their influence which has been growing for decades as they've become a significant part of disturbance in the Middle East.
HOUSTON - The United States and its allies have attacked several Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, in response to a string of missile attacks against cargo ships passing through the Red Sea, believed to be headed toward Israeli ports.
For some, Yemen's Houthi rebels are a recent headline, but their influence has been growing for decades as they've become a significant part of the current disturbance in the Middle East. The Houthis started as a cultural movement in the 1990s, that erupted into civil war in Yemen, in 2011, allowing the rebel group to wrest control of an influential part of the world.
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Middle East expert Richard Sindelar, of Rice University's Baker Institute, is not surprised the Houthis have become a growing aggravation in the current regional crisis. "They control about a third of Yemen, on the western side; some of the most arable, most urbanized areas of Yemen," he notes.
The air strikes by the U.S. and allied countries, in response to months of Houthi attacks on shipping traffic in the Red Sea, targeted more than 30 sites, between the coast and the capital city of Sana'a. In response, the Houthis warned that all U.S. and British assets have become "legitimate targets", and Sindelar says he expects the threat is real.
"They're all groups that are armed by Iran," he says, "The Houthis have very sophisticated anti-ship missiles, so we have not seen the end of what they may attempt to do."
Like Hamas, in Gaza, and Hezbollah, in Lebanon, the Houthis are the beneficiaries of Iranian support and are unlikely to be intimidated by the the show of force. With little chance of ground confrontation, for now, experts expect the Houthis will continue their campaign of being a bothersome "thorn" in support of Palestinians.
It may leave the Red Sea a perilous journey for passing shipping traffic, but an unlikely flash-point for wider conflict and a direct clash with Iran, for now.
"I don't think that it's going to blow up into a confrontation with Iran," says Sindelar, "But they will continue to fight through their proxies, Hezbollah and the Houthis, but not directly with us."
Already, Saudi Arabia, which battled the Houthis during the civil war, has urged caution after last night's strikes. Also, the Navy has warned U.S.-flagged ships to stay out of the Red Sea for the next three days. As difficult as it would be, Sindelar believes some form of direct diplomacy is the best chance at cooling tensions in the long term.