INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Iran-aligned Houthis of Yemen are playing an escalating role in the Middle East, attacking shipping in the Red Sea and firing drones and
missiles at Israel in a campaign they say aims to support Palestinians in the Gaza war, Reuters reported.U.S
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday announced the creation of a multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea in
response to the Houthi attacks.The Houthis& role has added to the conflict&s regional risks, threatening sea lanes through which much of the
world&s oil is shipped, and worrying states on the Red Sea as Houthi rockets and drones fly towards Israel.Who are the Houthis?HistoryIn the
late 1990s, the Houthi family in far north Yemen set up a religious revival movement for the Zaydi sect of Shi&ite Islam, which had once
ruled Yemen but whose northern heartland had became impoverished and marginalised, Reuters reported.As friction with the government grew,
they fought a series of guerrilla wars with the national army and a brief border conflict with Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia.Growing
PowerTheir power grew during the Yemen war which began in late 2014, when they seized Sanaa
Worried by the growing influence of Shi&ite Iran along its border, Saudi Arabia intervened at the head of a Western-backed coalition in 2015
in support of the Yemeni government, Reuters reported.The Houthis established control over much of the north and other big population
centres, while the internationally recognised government based itself in Aden.Yemen has enjoyed more than a year of relative calm amid a
Saudi Arabia has been holding talks with the Houthis in a bid to exit the war.Role in Middle East warThe Houthis waded into the latest
conflict as it spread around the Middle East, announcing on Oct
31 they had fired drones and missiles at Israel and vowing they would continue to mount attacks &until the Israeli aggression stops&.Their
actions have echoed the role of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has been attacking Israeli positions at the Lebanese
frontier, and Iraqi militias which have been firing at U.S
interests in Iraq and Syria.Stepping up their threats, the Houthis said on Dec
9 they would target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing
with Israeli ports, Reuters reported.&If Gaza does not receive the food and medicine it needs, all ships in the Red Sea bound for Israeli
ports, regardless of their nationality, will become a target for our armed forces,& the Houthi spokesperson said in a Dec
9 statement.The Houthis& slogan is &Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam&.Iran linksThe United States
believes that Iran&s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is helping to plan and carry out the Houthi missile and drone attacks, Reuters
reported.&Iran&s support for Houthi attacks on commercial vessels must stop,& U.S
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Dec
18.Iran denies involvement.The Saudi-led coalition has long accused Iran of arming, training and funding the Houthis
The Houthis deny being an Iranian proxy and say they develop their own weapons.ArsenalThe Houthis demonstrated their missile and drone
capabilities during the Yemen war in attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, targeting oil installations and vital
infrastructure.The arsenal includes ballistic missiles and armed drones capable of hitting Israel more than 1,000 miles from their seat of
power in Sanaa.Its Tofan, Borkan, and Quds missiles are modeled on Iranian weapons and can hit targets up to 2,000 km away, experts say.The
Houthis fired these missiles at Saudi Arabia dozens of times during the Yemen war
In September, the Houthis displayed anti-aircraft Barq-2 missiles, naval missiles, a Mig-29 fighter jet and helicopters for the first
time.The Houthis have also used fast boats armed with machine guns in their operations against shipping.The post Who are Yemen&s Houthis and
why are they attacking Red Sea ships? first appeared on Ariana News.
