Houthis target Red Sea shipping lanes and Israel amid international crisis

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war for over a decade, following the 2011 Arab Spring revolution that led to the ousting of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. By 2015, the Houthi movement, which took control of large portions of the country, faced an extensive air campaign by an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Despite heavy aerial bombardment, issues such as misguided humanitarian aid and ineffective international diplomacy have inadvertently strengthened the Houthi regime. They declared a political council to govern northern Yemen in 2016, further legitimizing their authority. In 2018, the international community's attempts at peace through UN-mediated negotiations largely failed, despite the increasing dire humanitarian situation labeled as the worst man-made crisis. A significant turning point occurred with renewed ground offensives in Hodeidah, a vital port city for humanitarian aid, with the Houthis emerging as principal beneficiaries of the political situation. The Houthis used the UN's diplomatic failures to solidify their position while Saudi and Emirati forces withdrew under pressure from the Biden administration in 2021. Since October 2023, the Houthis have taken a more aggressive stance, disrupting global shipping routes in the Red Sea and firing missiles at Israel, emphasizing their anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric. This escalation marks a new phase in the conflict whereby they not only strengthened their military capabilities through Iranian support but also gained diplomatic recognition, allowing them to engage on equal terms with the Yemeni government. The persistence of the humanitarian crisis, alongside UN failures and the normalization of the Houthi regime in international discourse, forms the backdrop of this alarming situation. Analysts warn of the consequences such as increased instability in the region and undermining international governmental authority in Yemen, which casts a long shadow over any potential peaceful resolution of the conflict.