The growing tensions in the Red Sea, within the framework of the War between Israel and Hamas that has devastated a large part of Gaza and that has positioned numerous countries in the West and East, have put the focus on a new actor that is greatly extending the conflict in the Middle East: the Houthis. His presence in this clash has been expanding since, in the month of October, this group – backed, among others, by Iran – began to carry out hostile actions against merchant ships in the Red Sea, through which 15% of the world’s maritime traffic passes, in response to the constant Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory.

Actions that have led, also in response, to the attacks carried out in recent hours by the United States and the United Kingdom against areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis, and which could continue to occur if attacks against boats continue to be recorded, as Washington has recently warned. But who are the huthis? For what purpose was this group created and what is its role and objective in this matter? The movement was born in the mid-90s in northern Yemen as a representation of Zaidism, a split from Shiite Islam, to combat the Yemeni government of then president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The impoverishment of the population and the growing territorial tensions in the area led to increased friction with the government, whom They also accused of corruption and receiving support from the United States and Saudi Arabia.. The Houthis began to take up arms, leading to numerous clashes against the country’s leadership, whose army ended up assassinating the founder and leader of the group – as it is now known – Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi. Since then (2004), Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, his brother, took the reins of a group that began to gain presence in Yemen.

The Houthis They played a key role in the 2011 Yemeni revolution, strengthening their organization and their actions until, in 2015, they temporarily took control of the central government, which also led, in subsequent years, to a direct clash with the radical Sunni factions – the majority Muslim group in the global Islamic community. , with Saudi Arabia and with the West. This continued conflict has caused Yemen, today, to suffer one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises in the world, and with no signs of the situation improving in a territory hit by hunger and horror.

The Houthis in the ‘Axis of Resistance’

Currently, the Houthis control areas of Yemen and are part of what has been called the ‘Axis of Resistance’an anti-Zionist and anti-Western alliance of regional militias (Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis) backed by Iran. Under the motto “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse to the Jews and victory to Islam”, they have carried out the recent attacks on the shipping routes in the Red Sea as a gesture of support for the Palestinians and Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in its war against Israel. These attacks have disrupted international trade, forcing countries to take a much longer route, around South Africa, to avoid the attacks.

This has caused an increase in costs and times for trade, which has fueled fears that it could trigger a new episode of global inflation. “These attacks have endangered US military personnel, civilian sailors and our partners, they have threatened commerce and freedom of navigation,” denounced the president of the United States, Joe Biden, which is why in recent hours he has launched a combined attack with the United Kingdom against Houthi positions in Yemen. An offensive that, on the other hand, has caused some fear of Iran’s reaction.

What is happening in the Red Sea

The attacked area has great strategic importance as it serves as a link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The relevance of the strait is especially accentuated today, given that the majority of oil and natural gas exports from the Persian Gulf pass through Bab el Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz. The international economic situation resulting from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine depends largely on the stability of the energy market, which makes the stability at these ‘chokepoints’ have special importance.

This importance has been reflected in the repeated condemnations issued by the United Nations, the European Union (EU) and countries such as the United States for the threat posed by the Houthis to freedom of navigation, which has led Washington to raise the possibility of create a multinational maritime force to guarantee security in this area of ​​the world. However, the United States’ statements have quickly been met with a frontal response from Iran, which has already warned that this multinational force, if formed, would face “enormous problems.” Tehran has defended on multiple occasions the need for the countries of the region to be in charge of affairs in the Middle East and has requested the departure of US troops from the region.

Along these lines, although it is known that the Houthis have established ties with Iran, it is not clear to what extent this relationship is strong. The Saudi-led coalition has repeatedly accused Iran of arming and training the Houthis, a charge both deny. Similarly, the coalition has also alleged that Hezbollah, backed by Iran in Lebanon, is helping the Houthis, another accusation that the latter rejects. The Houthis deny being puppets of Iran and still insist they are fighting a corrupt system.