Since mid-November, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the de facto government in northern Yemen, have launched dozens of attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a vital shipping lane that accounts for 12% of world trade. .
In January, the U.N. Security Council voted to condemn “in the strongest terms” at least two dozen Houthi attacks on commercial ships, saying they hampered global commerce and undermined freedom of navigation.
The United States and a handful of allies, including Britain, have fought back with missile strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, putting the militia and its long-running armed struggle further into the spotlight. Last month, the U.S. State Department designated the Houthis a terrorist organization and followed through on its warning to crack down on the group.
Here’s a quick look at the Houthis and their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Who are the Houthis?
The Houthis, an Iran-backed group of Shia militants led by Abdul Malik al-Houthi, have been fighting the Yemeni government for about two decades and now control the country’s northwest and its capital Sana’a.
Their ideology revolves around opposition to Israel and the United States, seeing themselves as part of an Iranian-led “axis of resistance” along with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Their leaders often compare the U.S.-made bombs used against their forces in Yemen to weapons shipped to Israel and used in Gaza.
After the Houthis seized the capital in 2014, a Saudi-led military coalition stepped in to try to restore the country’s original government, triggering a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Negotiations between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia last April raised hopes of a peace deal that could recognize the Houthis’ right to govern northern Yemen.
The Houthis were once a loosely organized group of insurgents but have in recent years beefed up their arsenal, which now includes cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and long-range drones. Analysts attribute this expansion to support from Iran, which provides militias across the Middle East to expand its influence.
Why did they attack ships in the Red Sea?
When the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, the Houthis declared support for the people of Gaza and said they would target any ship heading to or leaving Israel.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saraya has often said the group attacks ships to protest the “killings, destruction and siege” in Gaza and in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Gaza authorities said Israel launched a bombing and ground offensive that killed more than 30,000 people, mostly civilians, after Hamas carried out cross-border attacks that killed about 1,200 people.
While the Houthis initially pledged to attack all ships linked to Israel, they later said their attacks were also in retaliation for “American and British aggression.” Most of the ships attacked had no obvious connection to Israel and were not bound for Israeli ports.
Since November, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden using drones and missiles.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday, when the Houthis claimed an attack on a commercial ship off the coast of Yemen, killing two people and injuring at least six others, according to Western officials. The attack was the first fatality since the Houthis began targeting ships.
How do these attacks affect countries around the world?
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned reporters in Bahrain on January 10 that continued Houthi attacks in the Red Sea could disrupt supply chains and increase the cost of daily supplies. He said Houthi attacks affected ships connected to more than 40 countries.
Shipping companies face tough choices.
Vessels rerouted around Africa would add an additional 4,000 miles and 10 days to their journeys and require more fuel. But continued use of the Red Sea will increase insurance premiums. Either option would harm an already fragile global economy.
In addition to maintaining vital shipping lanes, the waters off Yemen are also a key location for undersea cables that carry email and other digital traffic between Asia and the West. Three of the cables were disabled on Tuesday, raising concerns about whether conflict in the Middle East is now beginning to threaten the global internet. The cause of the damage was unclear, but suspicion centered on the Houthis, who denied responsibility.
What measures has the United States taken to prevent Houthi attacks?
The Biden administration has repeatedly condemned Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and established a naval task force to try to contain Houthi attacks.
The task force, called Operation Prosperity Guardian, brings together the United States, Britain and other allies and has been patrolling the Red Sea to, in Blinken’s words, “preserve freedom of navigation” and “freedom of shipping.”
Bahrain is the only Middle Eastern country to agree to participate. Analysts say that while many countries in the region rely on trade through the Red Sea, many do not want to be associated with Israel’s closest ally, the United States.
U.S. and British warships intercepted some Houthi missiles and drones before they reached their targets.
Last month, U.S. and British warplanes struck 18 targets in eight locations in Yemen The Houthis have underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack drone systems, air defense systems, radars and helicopters.
The United States earlier attacked five Houthi military targets in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen, including an undersea drone.
In January, fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with four other warships, intercepted 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles and a Anti-ship ballistic missile. In December, U.S. Navy helicopters sank three Houthi boats that were attacking commercial cargo ships.
Ben Hubbard, Peter Eavis, Helen Cooper, Eric Schmidt and Keith Bradsher Contributed reporting.