Are the Houthi Red Sea interceptions going to bring about a regional war?
Al Jazeera
Analysts tell Al Jazeera the Houthis are not likely to back down and the impacts on the region will be felt widely.
Beirut, Lebanon – Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked a US navy destroyer in the Red Sea on Sunday, indicating the group will not be deterred by recent air attacks on Yemen by the United States and United Kingdom.
Not only have the Houthis seen a spike in popularity domestically, but they also have found solidarity among the so-called axis of resistance of Iran-supported groups in the region. They were already incensed by Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 24,000 people, most of them civilians.
And as the war on Gaza continues, so does the possibility of a confluence of confrontations, experts told Al Jazeera.
“Yemen is now becoming a participant in the regional escalation related to the war in Gaza,” said Raiman al-Hamdani, researcher at the ARK Group, a Dubai-based social enterprise that offers strategic management services.
The Houthis control western Yemen, including the strategically valuable Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which leads into the Red Sea and up to the Suez Canal.
