Houthi Involvement In The 2023 Israel–Hamas War

The Red Sea crisis, also known as the United States–Iran proxy war, References for this being a US-Iran proxy war:
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* began on 19 October 2023 when Yemen's Houthi movement initiated a series of attacks, targeting Southern Israel and the ships in the Red Sea it claimed were linked to Israel, although some ships with no apparent link to Israel were also targeted.

During the Israel–Hamas war, the Houthi movement in Yemen, aligned with Hamas, launched attacks targeting Israel. They employed missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), some of which were intercepted by Israel over the Red Sea using the Arrow missile defense system (another missile was intercepted in space, making it the first instance of space warfare in history according to Israeli officials); others fell short of their targets or were intercepted by the United States Navy, the French Navy and the Israeli Air Force. On December 2023, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that any ship destined for Israel was a "legitimate target" and claimed they will not stop until the Gaza Strip is supplied with "food and medicine".

Houthi militants have also fired on merchant vessels of various countries in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a chokepoint of the global economy. This resulted in hundreds of cargo ships and tankers being rerouted around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the attacks in the Red Sea. The United States has struck Houthis seven times since launching its first series of strikes alongside the British military on 11 January.

Background

The Houthi movement is a Shiite militant organization which controls northern Yemen and is supported and funded by Iran.
Following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, Iranian-supported militant groups across the Middle East, including the Houthis, expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened to attack Israel. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned the United States against intervening, threatening retaliation with drones and missiles. In order to end the attacks in the Red Sea, the Houthis demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Weapons

Houthi weapons come mainly from Iran. They are known to use surface-to-surface missiles, artillery rockets, loitering munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They have several missiles and UAVs capable of reaching Israel from Yemen:
* Toufan – a surface-to-surface missile, with a range of .
* Cruise missiles – from the Iranian Soumar family, with strike ranges of about .
* Quds-2 missile – supposedly with a range of but made to strike Israel.
* Samad-3 and Samad-4 – UAVs/loitering munitions with ranges of +.
* Wa'id drones – similar to Iran's Shahed 136, loitering munition with a range of .

Timeline of events

October 2023

On 19 October 2023 US officials said the United States Navy destroyer shot down three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones heading toward Israel launched by the Houthis in Yemen. This was the first action by the U.S. military to defend Israel since the outbreak of the war. It was later reported that the ship shot down four cruise missiles and 15 drones. Another missile was reportedly intercepted by Saudi Arabia.

On 27 October 2023 two loitering munitions were fired in a northerly direction from the southern Red Sea. According to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials, their target was Israel, but they did not cross the border from Egypt. Of the two drones, one fell short and hit a building adjacent to a hospital in Taba, Egypt, injuring six; the other was shot down near an electricity plant close to the town of Nuweiba, Egypt. A Houthi official later made a one-word post on Twitter after the drone crashed in Taba, mentioning the nearby Israeli city of Eilat.

On 31 October an alert was triggered in Eilat, Eilot kibbutz and the Shahorit industrial park area regarding the penetration of hostile aircraft from the Red Sea. The aircraft was successfully intercepted over the Red Sea. The Arrow system intercepted a ballistic missile and the Air Force intercepted several cruise missiles fired from the Red Sea toward Eilat. The Houthis took responsibility for the launches. One cruise missile was shot down by an F-35i Adir jet. The downing of the missile by the Arrow marks the first time it has been used in the Israel–Hamas war. According to Israeli officials, the interception occurred above Earth's atmosphere above the Negev Desert, making it the first instance of space warfare in history.

November 2023

On 1 November at 0:45 the IDF intercepted an air threat fired from Yemen and identified south of Eilat. A US MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Houthi air defences on 8 November; the Pentagon previously said that MQ-9 drones were flying over Gaza in an intelligence gathering role to aid in the hostage recovery efforts. On 9 November, the Houthis fired a missile toward the city of Eilat. The missile was intercepted by an Arrow 3 missile, marking the first time it was used in an interception.

On 14 November the Houthis fired numerous missiles, one of which was aimed toward the city of Eilat. The missile was intercepted by an Arrow missile according to Israeli officials. The following day, US officials said that shot down a drone, fired from Yemen, that was headed toward it. On 22 November, the Houthis fired a cruise missile aimed toward the city of Eilat. Israeli officials said the missile was successfully shot down by an F-35. On 23 November 2023, US officials said that the destroyer USS ''Thomas Hudner'' had shot down several attack drones launched from Yemen.

On 29 November 2023 US officials said the US Navy destroyer USS ''Carney'' shot down a Houthi KAS-04 drone as the destroyer approached the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. On 30 November 2023, Saudi media reported that an Israeli airstrike caused an explosion at a Houthi arms depot in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. Houthi officials denied the report, stating that a gas station was hit instead. A member of the Houthis' political bureau, Hezam al-Asad, said that the explosion was caused by the remnants of a bomb left over from the Yemeni civil war.

December 2023

On 6 December 2023 the Houthi movement launched several ballistic missiles at Israeli military posts in Eilat. On the same day, USS ''Mason'' shot down a drone launched from Yemen. There were no clear indications of its target.

On 10 December 2023 the French Navy's frigate , operating in the Red Sea, intercepted two drones launched from Hodeida, a Houthi-held port. The US Navy reportedly shot down 14 drones on 16 December 2023, while Egyptian Air Defense Forces intercepted an object flying near Dahab.

On 18 December 2023 the Indian Navy stationed the destroyer in the Gulf of Aden for maritime security. The destroyer was already deployed in the region to counter Somali pirates, although the Government of India remains silent about its involvement in Operation Prosperity Guardian.

By 21 December 2023, the Port of Eilat, which gives Israel via the Red Sea its only easy shipping access to Asia without the need to transit the Suez Canal, had seen an 85% drop in activity due to the Houthi action.

On 26 December 2023 Houthis said they carried out drone attacks on Eilat and other parts of Israel. The US shot down 12 drones and five missiles fired by them, and the IDF said they also shot down a projectile launched from Yemen, targeting Israel, over the Red Sea, off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula. On 26 December the Indian Navy deployed the destroyers and in the Arabian Sea after an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel was struck off the Indian coast. The navy was investigating the nature of the attack on the vessel, MV ''Chem Pluto'', which docked in Mumbai on Monday, and initial reports pointed to a drone attack, a navy statement said. The Pentagon said on Saturday that a drone launched from Iran struck the ''Chem Pluto'' in the Indian Ocean. The Foreign Ministry of Iran denied the U.S. accusations and called them 'baseless'. The vessel's crew included 21 Indians and one Vietnamese citizen.

January 2024

On 4 January, just hours after the warning, Houthis launched an unmanned surface vessel (USV) towards US Navy and commercial vessels, but it detonated well over a from the ships.

On 7 January, the Houthi movement stated that retaliatory attacks against the U.S. Navy would continue unless the US hands over the Navy servicemembers who killed the 10 Houthi attack boat personnel for them to stand trial in Yemen. On 7 January the Pakistan Navy deployed two s, PNS ''Tughril'' and ''Taimur'' in the Arabian Sea following "recent incidents of maritime security."

On 10 January, a large-scale attack was initiated by the Houthis against USS ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'', USS ''Gravely'', USS ''Laboon'', USS ''Mason'' and HMS ''Diamond'', in which at least 21 UAVs and missiles were launched.

On 11 January, U.S. Navy SEALs raided a ship off the coast of Somalia which was bound to Houthi militants. Iranian-made missile components and other weapons, including air defense parts, were seized from the ship. The ship was then sunk and its crew of 14 people were detained. During the raid, a SEAL was pushed into the water by high waves and one of his teammates jumped in after him, causing both of them to go missing. Both SEALs were declared dead by the US military after a 10-day search failed to locate them.

On 12 January, the US and UK conducted airstrikes against over a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen with the support of multiple other countries, just hours after the group's leader vowed that any American attack on its forces would "not go without a response". The strikes were the first time Houthi targets in Yemen were targeted since the beginning of the Red Sea crisis. More than 150 munitions and Tomahawk missiles struck 28 locations within Houthi-controlled areas. The Houthis said five of their fighters were killed and six others were injured. A day later, the US performed another strike on a Houthi radar site in Sanaa. On 14 January, American and British airstrikes were reported in Hodeida, and spy planes were reportedly spotted near the area. Reports also suggested that Israel was involved in the attacks. The US issued a denial the same day.

On 14 January, Houthis fired an anti-ship cruise missile from Hodeida in the direction of USS ''Laboon''. The missile was shot down by a fighter jet before it could cause damage.

On 16 January, the US struck four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles as they were being prepared to target ships in the Red Sea. The following day, a fourth round of US strikes hit 14 missiles across Houthi-controlled areas. On 22 January, in the eighth round of strikes against Houthis, the US and UK conducted airstrikes against eight Houthi targets in the vicinity of Sanaa airfield.

On 24 January, Houthi claimed to have attacked U.S. destroyers and other warships in the Red Sea. This attack supposed to be in response to . Houthi claimed to have directly hit a U.S. destroyer with a missile during the attack. This attack was denied by the United States government.

Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean (2023–present)

On 19 November, the car transporter was hijacked by the Houthis, with 25 individuals on board. The empty car transporter en route to India was boarded using a Mil Mi-17 helicopter. The incident followed a statement by Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea on the group's Telegram channel, declaring their intention to target ships owned, operated by Israeli companies, or carrying the Israeli flag. According to the ship's owner, the vessel was then moved to the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
Sarea also urged countries to remove their citizens from crews of such ships. Earlier, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had threatened further attacks against Israeli interests, including potential targets in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. His speech emphasized the group's capability to monitor and target Israeli ships in these regions.

On 24 November 2023, Iran allegedly attacked the , a Malta-flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean. A drone was shot down over the Red Sea by an IDF fighter jet.

On 26 November 2023, the Liberian-flagged , an oil tanker managed by Zodiac Maritime, was seized off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. It carried a full cargo of phosphoric acid with 22 crew members consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The destroyer , along with a partner country in the multilateral anti-piracy operation CTF 151, conducted a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operation that facilitated the release of the ''Central Park'' and captured the hijackers on the ship following their attempted escape. The ship's crew was unharmed. The U.S. military reported that in the early morning hours of the following day, two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of the ''Mason'' and the ''Central Park'' from Houthi territory in Yemen and ended up in the Gulf of Aden. The five hijackers, all suspected Somali pirates, were detained by the U.S. Navy.

On 3 December 2023, the United States Navy reportedly shot down three attack drones launched from Yemen that were approaching the ship. After shooting down the drones, the ship responded to a distress call by three commercial ships in the area (the ''Unity Explorer'', ''Number 9'' and ''Sophie II'') which were under attack by ballistic missiles launched from Yemen.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sarea stated that one merchant vessel was hit by a missile and another by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, without mentioning a warship. A Pentagon source said that the attacks on ''Carney'' caused no injuries or damage.

On 12 December 2023, the Houthis launched an anti-ship cruise missile attack against the Norwegian commercial ship ''Strinda'', an oil and chemical tanker operated by the J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi company, while it was close to the Bab-el-Mandeb. The ''Strinda'' was on its way from Malaysia to Italy (via the Suez Canal). The attack caused a fire aboard the ship; no crew members were injured. The ship was carrying cargo of palm oil. The French Armed Forces Ministry and U.S. Department of Defense reported that the ''Languedoc'' shot down a drone targeted at the ''Strinda'', and USS ''Mason'' also rendered aid. The Houthi attack on the ''Strinda'' was an expansion of its series of attacks against maritime shipping in the strait; the Houthis began to attack commercial vessels without any discernible tie to Israel.

On 13 December 2023, Houthi rebels attempted to board the ''Ardmore Encounter'', a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker coming from Mangaluru, India and en route to either Rotterdam, Netherlands or Gavle, Sweden, but failed, prompting a distress call from the ship. They then targeted the tanker with missiles, which missed. USS ''Mason'' responded to the tanker's distress call and shot down a UAV launched from a Houthi-controlled area. The ''Ardmore Encounter'' was able to continue its voyage without further incident.

On 14 December 2023, a Houthi-launched missile was fired at the ''Maersk Gibraltar'', though it missed its target. On 15 December 2023, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for attacks on two Liberian-flagged vessels identified as ''MSC Alanya'' and ''MSC Palatium III''. The Houthis fired naval missiles at the ships as they alleged they were traveling to Israel.

On 15 December, it was reported that the Liberian-flagged ''Al-Jasrah'', which is owned by Hapag Lloyd, caught fire after being hit by a Houthi-launched projectile while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On 16 December 2023, Royal Navy destroyer shot down a drone over the Red Sea while it was targeting a commercial ship.

On 18 December 2023, Houthis claimed to have launched attacks targeting two cargo vessels in the Red Sea near Mocha port, the ''MSC Clara'' and the Norwegian-owned ''Swan Atlantic''. The ''Swan Atlantic''s owner, Inventor Chemical Tankers, said its water tank was damaged in the attack and denied it has any Israeli ties.

On 23 December 2023, Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, but no ships were hit. also shot down four UAVs that were heading toward it.

On 26 December 2023, Houthis fired several naval missiles at the ''MSC United VIII'' in the Red Sea after it rejected three warning calls. She reported several explosions near her. She alerted a nearby coalition task force warship and engaged in evasive maneuvers as per her instructions during the attacks.

The container ship ''Maersk Hangzhou'', owned by A.P. Moller Singapore Pte. Ltd. and in service with Maersk Line, was attacked over two days in late December. On 30 December, she was hit by a land-based missile, suffering only limited damage and no casualties. The following day, four small Yemeni gunboats attempted to attack and board the ship. The ''Maersk Hangzhou''s own security team repelled them. Responding to her distress call, helicopters were deployed from and , which were then engaged by the Houthis. They returned fire and sank three of the boats, killing their crews (ten militants in all – the fourth boat withdrew), thus inflicting the first known casualties of the Red Sea Crisis.

On 11 January, Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, which landed in the water near a commercial vessel, causing no damage or injuries.

On 12 January, Houthis mistakenly targeted the as it carried Russian crude oil based on outdated information linking it to the United Kingdom. A missile was fired near the vessel as it sailed off the coast of Aden, causing no injuries or damage. Three small boats also tailed the vessel for over an hour.

On 15 January, Houthis struck the with an anti-ship missile, causing a small fire on board. The did not cause injuries or significant damage. Another missile fired earlier failed in flight and crashed in Yemen.

On 16 January, an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis struck the , causing material damage but no injuries. The Greek owned and Malta flagged vessel, which came from Vietnam and was en route to Israel, was able to continue transiting the Red Sea.

On 17 January, Houthis struck the US-owned bulk carrier with a drone while it traversed the Gulf of Aden, causing minimal damage and no injuries to the crew. The Indian Navy announced the following day that a warship in the region was diverted to rescue the ship's crew of 22 people.

On 18 January, Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at the , which was traveling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Kuwait. The missiles landed in the water near the ship while it was traversing through the Gulf of Aden, and there was no reported damage or injuries. However, a Houthi post on social media claimed that they launched several naval missiles at the vessel, resulting in direct hits.

On 22 January, Houthis claimed they attacked the US military cargo ship , but did not state the location of the attack or if damage was caused. However, the claim was rejected by the US Naval Forces Central Command.

On 24 January, a Houthi missile exploded on the sea about 100 meters off the starboard side of the U.S. flagged, owned, and operated container ship ''Maersk Detroit''. This ship and the ''Maersk Chesapeake'', both in the U.S. Maritime Administration's Maritime Security Program and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement were carrying U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, USAID, and other U.S. government agency cargo from Oman, and accompanied by U.S. Naval vessels while they were near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait transiting north. Two other missiles were shot down by the . Following the incident, the two vessels were ordered back to the Gulf of Aden by U.S. Navy instruction with Navy escort and Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary that sails primarily U.S. government-owned goods, suspended all sailings in the Red Sea.

On 26 January, a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward the USS ''Carney'' was shot down. The same day the ''Marlin Luanda'', an oil tanker operated by British company Oceonix Services on behalf of Trafigura, carrying Russian-produced naphtha, was hit by a missile as it traversed the Gulf of Aden. A Houthi spokesperson said the ship was targeted in response to "American-British aggression against our country". The attack, which the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported occurred 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden, directly hit the ship causing a fire in a cargo tank on the starboard side. The crew used firefighting equipment to put out the fire. None of the ship's crew was injured.

Iranian involvement

According to Iranian officials who spoke to ''Reuters'', Iranian personnel are present in Yemen, working in conjunction with Hezbollah militants. Their role involves directing and overseeing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. The officials further stated that Iran has escalated its provision of advanced drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, precision-strike ballistic missiles, and medium-range missiles to the Houthis, since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war.

According to US officials who spoke to '' Semafor'', commanders and advisors from Iran's Revolutionary Guards are currently stationed in Yemen, and are directly involved in the Houthi attacks on commercial traffic in the Red Sea. Additionally, the IRGC has also stationed missile and drone trainers and operators in Yemen. The Qods Force, has overseen the transfer of the attack drones, cruise missiles, and medium-range ballistic missiles which have been used in the strikes on Red Sea and Israeli targets in recent weeks.

According to Western intelligence officials, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have placed an intelligence gathering ship to guide Houthi attacks on ships that switch off radios and identifiers. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this is likely the ''Behshad'' which had replaced the ''Saviz'' (which had been used to supply weapons and intelligence to the Houthis until it came under an Israeli limpet mine attack in April 2021). The Iranian frigate later also entered the Red Sea.

North Korean involvement

According to Voice of America, North Korea had shipped weapons to the Houthis via Iran based on Hangul writing that was found on Houthi-launched missiles.

Possible war crimes

The Houthis have claimed they would target ships regardless of whether the ships contained any military targets, which according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) would constitute a war crime. The HRW also noted that the detention of captured crews could be considered a hostage-taking if they are detained to compel a third party to do or abstain from any act as a condition for the hostage's release or safety, which would be a violation of international humanitarian law and thus a war crime as well. A statement issued by the HRW called upon the militants to "end their attacks on civilians caught in the crosshairs of their declared war on Israel."

Impact

Houthi attacks have impacted shipping into Israel and local trade, with commercial shipping to the port of Eilat having almost completely ceased. Instead, commercial ships coming from Asia to Israel, as well as some commercial ships not destined for Israel, have started to go around Africa, which makes the journey around three weeks longer while increasing expenses. By 21 December, over 100 container ships have been rerouted to go around Africa, each adding around 6,000 nautical miles to the trip distance.

Another impact of Houthi involvement was that insurance costs for commercial ships that go through the Red Sea have increased; Israeli ships have seen an increase of 250%, and others were unable to get any insurance.

While Israelis would face delays in the supply chain and price hikes, the effects on the Egyptian economy are more severe as shipping through the Suez Canal contributes nearly $9.4 billion to the Egyptian economy which is suffering from a debt crisis made worse by trade disruptions with Israel due to the war in Gaza.

Major shipping companies suspended ship traffic through the Red Sea due to the attacks, including MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, and Evergreen Marine Corporation. On 18 December, the British multinational oil and gas company BP also suspended all shipments through the Red Sea. Maersk, which holds about 14.8% of the market share in the global container shipping market, announced on 25 December 2023 that it would resume operations soon as a result of Operation Prosperity Guardian. By 30 December, Maersk had resumed Red Sea operations, but again paused them following the attacks on ''Maersk Guangzhou''. On 12 January, Tesla said it would suspend most production from its Grünheide factory, its only factory in Europe, for two weeks starting 29 January due to supply chain issues caused by Houthi attacks. Volvo Cars also said it would halt production from its plant in Ghent for three days starting the following week. Shell plc announced a hold on "transit" through the Red Sea.

On 21 December, the chief executive of Eilat Port said the port has seen an 85% drop in activity since the Yemeni attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Many ships instead took a safer route, going around Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, although this route incurs an extra ten days, spends more fuel, and requires more crew time. The suspension of a large volume of trade through the Red Sea led to a decrease in use of the Suez Canal, and was thus a blow to the Egyptian economy.

Qatar has halted tankers of liquefied natural gas through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen increased risks in the strait. Considering that Qatar is Europe's second largest supplier of LNG, the long-term suspension of exports has raised concerns as the winter season begins in Europe.

On 16 January, the British multinational oil and gas company Shell suspended all Red Sea shipments indefinitely due to attacks on commerical vessels. Some ships traveling through the Red Sea began broadcasting "No contact Israel" on their automatic identification system in response to a Houthi request to vessels without ties to Israel.

Responses

In the region

In a speech at a manufacturing exposition following the incident of 27 October, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged all parties in the Israel–Hamas war to respect Egypt's sovereignty, and emphasized that the Egyptian Army was able to protect the country in case of any more attacks.

In early December 2023, Israel called upon Western allies to respond to threats to maritime shipping from the Houthis; Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said that if threats continue, "we will act to remove this blockade."
The Southern Transitional Council reportedly said in December 2023 that it was willing to cooperate with Israel to fight against the Houthis. However, Al-Islah, expressed support for the Houthi response to the Israel-Hamas war, despite its opposition to Houthi actions in the Yemeni civil war.

By the Houthis

On 25 January 2024, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated, "Our battle aims to support the Palestinian people, and has no other goals," and said that their operations would cease once food and medicine was reaching all of Gaza.

Multilateral, U.S.-led operation to deter attacks on merchant shipping

While the U.S. Navy has shot down Houthi rockets and missiles in the Red Sea, it has not retaliated against those firing them. In December 2023, after discussions with allies, the US announced the creation of a multilateral naval task force of protective escorts for commercial vessels in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and Gulf of Aden region. The operation, codenamed Operation Prosperity Guardian, was formally launched on 23 December 2023. It is similar to past operations protecting commercial vessels from attack, including in the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz during the "Tanker War" of the 1980s, and the ongoing maritime security operations of Combined Task Force 153, the U.S. Navy-led task force based in Bahrain. The operation has also been compared to the successful multilateral naval campaign a decade earlier to combat Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa, although the Houthis, unlike the Somali pirates, enjoy Iranian support, and better equipment and technology, such as helicopters, drones, missiles, and speedboats.

France, Italy and India have all independently sent naval assets to the region, with the intercepting drones launched from a Houthi-controlled port while Italy has sent the frigate under the Secure Mediterranean operation. India has also sent two s to strengthen maritime security in the Red sea.

Protests

In mid-January 2024, reports indicated that pro-Palestinian demonstrators in London voiced support for Houthi militants. This occurred shortly after the UK and the US initiated strikes on Houthi targets in response to the group's assaults on ships. Some demonstrators were observed chanting slogans like, "Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around," while others displayed signs with messages such as "Hands off Yemen", "Thanks Yemen", and "UK+US wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza Wants to live".

See also

* United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war
* Attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria (2023–present)
* International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war
* Operation Prosperity Guardian
* United States–Houthi conflict (2023–present)
* Closure of the Suez Canal (1967–1975)

Notes

* Saudi Arabia and Egypt have not joined the coalition against the Houthis, but they have shot down Houthi missiles over their own territory.
* The United States has deployed , , and .

References

{{Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)

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