Yemen’s Houthi rebels have declared they are “confronting America directly,” stating they will perpetuate their attacks on ships in the Red Sea until Israel’s blockade of Gaza is lifted.
The remarks came as the United States escalated strikes against Houthi targets with President Joe Biden admitting that his administration’s military action has not achieved its desired outcome.
“When you say working, are they stopping the Houthis?” Biden said in an exchange with reporters in Washington, D.C. “No. Are they going to continue? Yes.” The White House redesignated the Houthis as a terrorist organization on Wednesday, after delisting the group in 2021.
The U.S. has raised concerns about Houthi attacks, particularly against civilian shipping in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. On Thursday, the U.S. military carried out its fifth airstrike against Houthi targets in Yemen, with American fighter jets targeting anti-ship missiles that “were aimed into the southern Red Sea and prepared to launch.”
Within hours of the attack, the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a U.S.-owned tanker, the Chem Ranger. Despite no harm caused to the vessel, the attack further exacerbated security concerns in the region.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malek al-Houthi stated in a defiant, religiously charged speech that it was a “great honour and blessing” to confront America directly. He claimed that U.S. and UK strikes on Yemen have only heightened his military’s technology, affirming that the Houthi’s strategy, which targeted Israeli ships or those bound for or from Israel, was working.
The Houthi’s actions have raised the risk of a violent regional escalation and have gravely threatened the safety of civilians and the stability of the region. The situation in Yemen has further deteriorated, with the conflict moving into its seventh year. Millions of Yemenis have been displaced, and the humanitarian situation has been detrimentally affected.
The Houthi rebels have reportedly been receiving military support from Iran, raising questions about Tehran’s involvement in destabilizing the region. The international community has called for a de-escalation of the conflict and for all parties to engage in peace talks to resolve the crisis.
