The Houthis in Yemen have been attacking ships in the Red Sea with drones and other weapons for weeks. They cause huge financial losses. Who are they;
The Houthis come from a group of tribes from a mountainous region in northern Yemen bordering Saudi Arabia. In terms of religion, they belong to Shiite Islam, and for this reason they have good relations with Iran, which considers itself to be the representative of Shiite interests in the region.
The history of the Houthi movement politically and militarily dates back to the 1990s. The predecessor organization was founded in 1994 by Hussein Bradreddin al-Houthi, a former Yemeni parliamentarian who opposed the policies of then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since the Arab Spring broke out in 2011, the Houthis have increasingly accused Yemen’s central government in Sanaa of marginalizing their religious minority and stifling their rights. At the same time, they accuse their government of supporting Israel and the USA.
Dr. Jens Heibach, an expert on Islam at Hamburg’s GIGA Institute, says of the Houthis’ power in the region: “We have to reckon with the Houthis. Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have understood this. One cannot so easily bypass them. They’ve consolidated their power in the north and that’s not going to change that quickly.”
Tanks and ammunition stolen from the regular army
The Yemeni government is backed by Saudi Arabia and controls the southern part of the country, while the Houthis control the north and are supported by Iran. This is why many, referring to the civil war in Yemen, speak of a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Dr. Jens Heibach, however, remains cautious with the characterization:
“I’ve always had a bit of trouble with the term proxy war because it implies a very high level of dependency…especially at the beginning of the war it seemed too much of a characterization…Now I’m not so sure anymore because I think support for the Houthis has increased as well Houthi dependence on Iran. However, I am still very careful with the characterization.”
The Houthis have tanks, vehicles, guided missiles and rockets, weapons they claim to have taken from the Yemeni army. The civil war in Yemen has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations.
Source :Skai
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