After years of war, Yemen is devastated. But the Houthi militia receives modern drones and missiles from Tehran. Use it to attack Israel and merchant ships and face the US Navy.
These are small but painful needle pricks with which Iran’s allies want to provoke the US and Israel. Now these attacks are becoming increasingly bold. In northern Iraq, pro-Iranian militiamen planned to attack US soldiers with explosive devices. The US carried out an airstrike and killed several fighters. At the same time, Yemen’s Houthi forces resumed attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea. And this time they also clashed with a US warship. The US is now sending a clear warning to the Houthis and their Iranian helpers: the Tehran-backed militia poses a “direct threat to international trade and maritime security,” Washington said. The US is now considering an “appropriate response”.
Warning to the West
The Houthis operate in Yemen, where years of war have wreaked havoc. The conflict led to one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory, according to the UN. The country, which was already impoverished before the war, is now in ruins. But at the same time, the regime in Tehran is arming its allies in Yemen with modern military equipment: drones and medium-range missiles. Houthi fighters have recently attempted to attack Israel several times.