
Associated Press: Ship Hijacked off Yemen Coast Is Freed
Who is carrying out the attacks?
The group responsible for the attacks is the rebel organization called the Houthis. They emerged in Yemen in the 1990s, they are officially known as Ansar Allah and their goal is to control the entirety of Yemen. So far, they have captured the Yemeni capital and much of the northern region of the country. The civil war in Yemen being fought since 2014—in which the Huthis are a main player—is considered to be a proxy war. While there is no direct interference by these countries, it is alleged that Iran backs the Houthis and Saudi Arabia the opposing militias. Dr Elisabeth Kendall, a Middle East specialist at Cambridge University has thai to say: "The Houthis could not operate at this level without Iranian arms, training, and intelligence." However, "It is unclear that Iran has direct command and control over the Houthis." They also want to back external movements against the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
The history of their piracy

BBC: Ambrey Analytics
On November 19th, 2023, the Houthis targeted their first ship: a commercial vehicle. They landed a helicopter on the unsuspecting cargo vessel which was then hijacked. They redirected it toward Hodeidah port in Yemen and seized the crew, who are still being held. They have since attacked over 30 ships passing through the Red Sea. Their attacks have been carried out with the help of speed boats, missiles, and their so-called “Kamikazee drones”. They claim to target ships connected to Israel in their ownership, operation, or by their flag and destination. They support Palestine in the recent conflict and believe that their actions will help them win the war. However, some vessels have been discovered to have no links to Israel whatsoever.
Additionally, they attacked the British tanker Marlin Luanda as a response to “American-British agression”. They are referring to the US-UK missile strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen. President Joe Biden said they were in "direct response" to the attacks carried out by the Houthis, which had "jeopardized trade and threatened freedom of navigation". Similarly, the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the action was "necessary and proportionate" to protect global shipping.
Reuters: Red Sea Attacks
These attacks come, in part, because of the importance of trade in the Red Sea. About 15% of all global trade passes through, and it is now at risk. Already, major shipping companies have decided to take the much longer route around southern Africa to avoid the pirates. If the attacks continue, they could seriously harm commerce.
There are varying interpretations of the effectiveness of said attacks. On one side, the Houthis claim the airstrike has had no impact on their operations. While this is most likely an exaggeration, they have still managed to hit six vessels which does grant some degree of credibility to their statement. The last two successful attacks carried out happened on the 6th of February, 2024 when they targeted one US and one UK-linked ship. However, they both reportedly sustained minimal damage. In a more tame take, the IISS researcher and open-source analyst Fabian Hinzy said it was “unclear” how much the attacks had depleted the Houthis capabilities but that “it's almost impossible to degrade an arsenal like that 100%”.
Looking toward the future
Unfortunately, a quick—and especially peaceful—resolution is unlikely. On January 17th the Biden administration declared the Houthis as official terrorists. As the BBC reported, “US President Joe Biden says there will be further retaliation against the Houthis should the group continue with its ‘outrageous behavior’”. This response was engendered by the US’s first round of airstrikes on January 12. Since this date, the so-called “outrageous behavior” has continued as have America’s attacks.
It is reported that in the previously mentioned air strike, some 73 missiles were launched targeting 30 Houthi sites. The Houthis allege that five members were killed. In response, Mohammed Abdulsalam, the spokesman for the militia said “They [US and UK] committed an idiocy with this treacherous aggression" and vowed to retaliate.
As for future US response, the White House national security spokesperson said, “We're not interested in a war with Yemen” but that the president “won’t hesitate to take further action to protect our troops and our facilities and international commerce.” This somewhat veiled and unspecific threat only reveals the following: there won’t be a US invasion of Yemen, but other actions will be taken to control the terrorist group.
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