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Who are the Houthis and why are the US and UK retaliating for their attacks?

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WASHINGTON (AP) — As U.S. and British warships and aircraft fired waves of missiles, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels In Yemen, an attack in Sanaa early Friday ended weeks of warnings to extremist groups to halt drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea or face serious consequences.

Previously, the United States had held off on counterattacks, reflecting growing American concerns about upsetting Yemen’s fragile ceasefire and sparking broader conflict in the region.But on Tuesday, the Houthis Launched the largest barrage in history It launched 18 unidirectional attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, and anti-ship ballistic missiles at numerous international merchant vessels and warships in the Red Sea.

U.S. and partner warships and aircraft currently guarding the waterway were able to evade Tuesday’s attack, but the range and intensity of the launch drew international condemnation, and further attacks would cause significant damage. There was little choice left but to follow through with international warnings that this would happen. response.

In response, the United States and Britain attacked the Houthis’ missile, radar, and drone capabilities, reducing their ability to carry out further attacks like Tuesday’s barrage.

Insurgents have already vowed to retaliate for the airstrike in Yemen, which occurred just before 3 a.m. local time on Friday.

Here’s a look at the Houthis and their increasing attacks, and why the US believes it’s more acceptable to bomb some Iran-related targets than others.

Who are the Houthis?

Houthi rebels swept from their stronghold in northern Yemen in 2014, captured the capital Sanaa, and began a brutal war. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to restore Yemen’s internationally recognized government in exile.

Years of bloody and inconclusive fighting against the Saudi-led coalition has ended in a deadlocked proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. widespread hunger and misery in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world. The war killed more than 150,000 people, including combatants and civilians, and caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.

Technically speaking, the ceasefire that ended more than a year ago is still largely upheld.Saudi Arabia and the rebels did several things prisoner exchangeand Houthi delegation was invited to high-level peace talks in Riyadh in September As part of a broader détente, Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Iran.while they are reporting “Positive result”There is still no lasting peace.

attack on ships

The Houthis have sporadically targeted shipping in the region over time, but attacks have increased since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, and on October 17, they attacked a hospital in the Gaza Strip with scores of casualties and injuries. The number of cases increased rapidly after the explosion, which killed several people. The hospital explosion marked the beginning of an intense combat operation against U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria, as well as numerous commercial ships passing through the Red Sea. The attack damaged merchant ships and forced international shipping companies to detour around the Cape of Good Hope.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a Pentagon news conference that as of Thursday, the Houthis had launched 27 different attacks against ships navigating the southern Red Sea.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. General Yahya Salih said the group “wants to prevent Israeli ships from sailing through the Red Sea (and Gulf of Aden) until Israel’s aggression against our staunch compatriots in the Gaza Strip stops.”

However, few of the vessels targeted had direct ties to Israel. In the latest attack, one of the merchant vessels attacked, the Unity Explorer, had tenuous ties to Israel. It is owned by a British company and one of its directors is Dan David Unger, who lives in Israel. Israeli media identified Unger as the son of Israeli shipping billionaire Abraham “Rami” Unger. However, Israel’s connection to the other ships is unclear.

U.S. officials maintain that the Houthis are not technically targeting U.S. warships or troops, but naval captains who monitor incoming drones question the subtlety. may hold.

In response to the attack, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Operation Prosperity Guardian last month, in which the U.S. and more than 20 other countries created a protective umbrella for merchant ships that decided to transit through the Red Sea without changing their routes. Founded.

Had the merchant ship not been escorted in that operation to stop the oncoming fire, “there is no doubt that the ship would have been rammed and possibly sunk. In some cases, cargo ships were also included,” a senior government official said. Reporters spoke on condition of anonymity late Thursday to discuss the strike. “It was a very close call.”

To date, Operation Prosperity Guardian has helped more than 1,500 merchant vessels safely navigate the Red Sea.

American calculus

The United States has carried out airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria targeting American forces in 130 different attacks since October 17, but as of Thursday the military had yet to retaliate against the Houthis.

This reluctance reflects political sensitivities and stems primarily from the Biden administration’s broader concerns about upsetting Yemen’s fragile ceasefire and sparking broader conflict in the region. The White House wants to preserve the armistice and is wary of any action that could open a new front.

Iranian-backed militias fired drones, rockets, and short-range ballistic missiles in one-way attacks on bases in Iraq and in Syria 53 times. The attack left dozens of soldiers injured, many with traumatic brain injuries.

In response, the United States has retaliated with airstrikes in Syria since October 17, targeting weapons depots and other facilities directly associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and militias. And late last month, multiple locations in Iraq were attacked after militias fired short-range ballistic missiles for the first time at U.S. forces at Al-Asad Air Base.

But until Thursday, attacking the Houthis had a different calculus.

Pentagon officials said in a statement that the Navy ship shot down the Houthi drone because it deemed it a “threat.” But in the next breath, officials said the U.S. determined the ship was not a target. This decision is often made after telemetry and other data are considered in an intelligence assessment.

But that’s no comfort to ship’s crew, who must monitor radar tracking of incoming drones and quickly determine whether they pose a threat to the ship.

At the same time, the United States has consistently stated that it wants to protect the free navigation of the oceans. However, the Houthis’ actions prompted the International Maritime Security Organization to issue a warning to ships navigating the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb. The report says ships should choose routes as far away from Yemeni waters as possible, sail at night and avoid anchoring. This is because doing so will make you an easier target.

The Biden administration has talked persistently about the need to avoid the Israel-Hamas war escalating into a broader regional conflict. So far, attacks against Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria have not escalated the conflict, Ryder said.

It is unclear whether targeted attacks on Houthi weapons depots and similar facilities, which are also supported by Iran, will cross the line and spark a wider war.

“We will continue to consult with our international allies and partners on appropriate ways to protect commercial shipping transiting through the region, while ensuring we do what is necessary to protect our military,” Ryder said. Stated.

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Associated Press writer John Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.



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