U.S. strikes on Yemen kill 31; Houthis hit back

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

The United States launched its first strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels since Donald Trump took office, resulting in the deaths of 31 individuals, with the U.S. President warning of severe retaliation if the Houthis continued their attacks on international shipping.
In response to the U.S. strikes, the Houthis claimed to have launched an attack on the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea.

Background:

Yemen is located at the junction of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, its coastline commanding the strategic strait of Bab al-Mandab.
Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels controlling large portions of the country. The conflict has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with widespread displacement, famine, and loss of life.

Houthis:

Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, is a Zaydi ShiaIslamist political and militant group that launched its insurgency against the Yemeni government in the early 2000s.
Over time, it expanded its influence and captured significant territory, including the capital city, Sanaa, in 2014.
This led to a full-scale civil war that began in 2015, when Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states intervened in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which had been ousted by the Houthis.
Since then, Ansar Allah has functioned as a de facto government for much of Yemen, successfully maintaining control over large areas of the country.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government, which has been in exilein the southern port city of Aden, has been backed by a coalition of Saudi Arabia, UAE Emirates (UAE), and other regional powers, while the Houthis are supported by Iran and Russia.

Houthi Attacks on Shipping:

Since 2023, the Houthis have launched 174 attacks on U.S. warships and 145 attacks on commercial vessels, significantly disrupting maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a key shipping route that carries 12% of global maritime traffic.

The Role of the U.S. and Iran:

The U.S. and Iran are major players in the conflict, with the S. supporting Saudi Arabia’s efforts against the Houthis and Iran backing the Houthi rebels as part of its broader influence in the Middle East.

Houthi Relations with the Axis of Resistance:

The Houthis are a central part of the axis of resistance, a coalition of Iranian-backed groups, which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)in Iraq, that oppose U.S. influence and Israel.
Iran has continued to supply the Houthis with weapons and military aid, enabling them to maintain a strong presence in the region.
Their relationship with Iran has caused tensions with Western powers, who view the Houthis as an Iranian proxy, exacerbating the conflict in Yemen and the wider Middle East.