Yemen's Huthis seek propaganda boost from US strikes

AS AMERICA'S escalated bombing campaign and economic sanctions hit Yemen hard, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Washington's crosshairs are trying to mine the situation for propaganda and recruitment, analysts said.

- 

This week, four days after 80 people were killed in US strikes on a fuel port, the Huthis released a slick promotional video showing special forces marching over the Israeli flag and somersaulting through flaming hoops.

Against a soundtrack of dramatic music, the masked soldiers fire automatic weapons at targets bearing the American, Israeli and British flags - the three countries involved in attacks on Yemen since January last year.

The Huthis, part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and the US, have painted themselves as defenders of Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, launching a drumbeat of missiles and drones both at Israel and at cargo vessels plying the key Red Sea trade route.

In response, the administration of US President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on the group, redesignating it a terrorist organisation and carrying out near-daily air strikes that have killed more than 200 people since mid-March.