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Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis are playing an escalating role in the Middle East conflict, attacking shipping in the Red Sea, firing missiles and carrying out drone strikes on Israel in a campaign they say aims to support the Palestinians in the war in Gaza.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on December 19 the creation of a multinational operation to protect trade in the Red Sea in response to attacks by Houthi rebels.
The role of the Houthi rebels has added to the regional risks of the conflict, putting at risk the sea lanes through which most of the world's oil is transported and raising concerns among states in the Red Sea, as the Houthi rebels' missiles and drones fly towards Israel.
But who are the Houthis?
History
In the late 1990s, the Houthi family in northern Yemen launched a religious revival movement for the Zaydi sect of Shia Islam, which had once ruled Yemen, but the northern part of the country had been marginalized and impoverished.
As friction with the Government grew, they waged a series of guerrilla wars with the national army and a brief border conflict with the Sunni power of Saudi Arabia.
Growing power
Their power grew during the war in Yemen that began in late 2014, when Houthi rebels took control of Sana'a. Concerned with the growing influence of Shiite Iran along its border, Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 and led the Western-backed coalition in support of the Yemeni government.
The Houthis established control over most of the summer area and other major population centers, while the internationally recognized government established its headquarters in Aden.
Yemen experienced more than a year of relative calm due to peace efforts led by the United Nations. Saudi Arabia holds talks with the Houthis to try to stop the war.
Role in the war in the Middle East
The Houthis entered the latest conflict as it spread across the Middle East, announcing on October 31 that they had launched rockets and carried out drone strikes on Israel. The Houthi rebels vowed to continue carrying out attacks "until the Israeli aggression stops".
Their actions have echoed the role of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has attacked Israeli positions on the Lebanese border, and Iraqi militias that have attacked US targets in Iraq and Syria.
Stepping up their threats, the Houthis said on December 9 that they would target all ships bound for Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned all international shipping companies not to cooperate with Israeli ports.
"If Gaza does not accept the food and medicine it needs, all ships in the Red Sea traveling to Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, will be targeted by our armed forces," said a statement on December 9. spokesman for the Huthi rebels.
The slogan of the Houthi rebels is: "Death to America, Death to Israel, curse to the Jews and victory to Islam".
Relations with Iran
The United States believes Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is helping plan and carry out missile and drone attacks by Houthi rebels.
"Iran's support for Houthi rebel attacks on commercial shipping must stop," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on December 18.
Iran denies involvement.
The Saudi-led coalition has long accused Iran of arming, training and financing the Houthis. The Houthis deny they are collaborators with Iran and say they produce their own weapons.
Arsenal
Houthi rebels have demonstrated their missile and drone capabilities during the war in Yemen in attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, targeting oil installations and vital infrastructure.
Their arsenal also includes ballistic missiles and drones capable of striking Israel, which is over 1,600 kilometers away from Sana'a.
The Houthi rebels' Tofan, Borkan and Quds missiles are modeled after Iranian weapons and, according to experts, can hit targets up to 2,000 kilometers away.
The Houthis fired dozens of these missiles at Saudi Arabia during the war in Yemen. In September, the Huthi rebels exhibited for the first time anti-tank missiles Barq-2, naval missiles and fighter jets Mig-29.
Houthi rebels have also used speedboats equipped with machine guns during their operations against ships./REL
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