Do the Houthis turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood?

Do the Houthis turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood?

Do the Houthis, supported by Iran, continue their attacks on ships in the Red Sea? This paramilitary group has announced in response to attacks by the United States and its allies against them that they will expand their attacks to ships of more countries.

Colonel Hamaseid, Middle East program director at the Institute for Peace in Washington, says that the Houthi group, or what Western media refers to as the Houthis, has taken advantage of the opportunity created by the Gaza war to attack ships passing through the Red Sea, which is an important trade route. They use the excuse of attacking ships going to Israel or Israeli ships, but we have also seen them attack US military ships or ships of other countries, either intentionally or by mistake.

This has caused major disruption to the free flow of goods and navigation in an important sea route. The Houthis claim to be carrying out this action in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza following an extremist Hamas attack on October 7th, 15th of Mehr inside Israel. The United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist group.

He believes in the effects of the Houthi attacks on American and British ships. Initially, they claimed to be attacking ships belonging to Israel and ships heading to Israel, but I think the information and data challenge this statement. After the attacks led by the United States and the formation of the Guardian Welfare Coalition, the Houthis have announced that they will expand their attacks to ships of other countries.

For example, they now claim that regardless of the nature and destination of American ships, the Houthis see them as legitimate targets in their growth path in Yemen’s politics and power structure. They gradually challenged Saudi Arabia and presented themselves more as an enemy to regional powers like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Now they are taking advantage of this opportunity and responding to the Gaza war to further introduce themselves in the international arena and elevate their position. This is also an opportunity for them to achieve their political goals.

Furthermore, Colonel Hama Saeed talks about Iran’s support for the Houthis. He denies Iran’s involvement in what the Houthis or Iranian-backed groups are doing in Iraq and Lebanon. But I don’t think those who monitor the region and are familiar with Iran and these armed groups believe this denial. The Houthis are active and well-trained, and information and reports from the United States and its allies confirm the delivery of weapons to the Houthis. The Houthis themselves have not denied receiving support from Iran in the past.

Therefore, the process and path of the Houthis reaching where they are today are projects that Iran has supported. The ability of the Houthis today to attack the Red Sea has not been achieved overnight, but has been developing over the past few years. In this regard, Iran has contributed to this increase in power. It is also believed that Iran has played a role in providing information, specific targeting capabilities, and identifying the ships that the Houthis have been pursuing. Therefore, it is difficult to believe that Iran has not played a direct or indirect role in this.

Regarding the future of the Red Sea, he said to the media that I think we should look at it from two levels. These complex networks of action and reaction that we have witnessed each have their own complexities. The conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians, the conflicts in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the conflicts involving Iran and the region, each have their own complexities. Now, in the aftermath of the attack on Gaza, the complexities of these conflicts have become intertwined throughout the region.

This can help sustain the ceasefire between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, similar to the progress Yemen was making towards peace before the October 7th attack. Crisis management in the Gaza war can be achieved by looking at some positive past trends in the region, including the fight against ISIS and the reduction of conflicts in Yemen. These are important developments that need to be taken into account.