RED SEA FLASHPOINT: U.S. STRIKES HOUTHI TARGETS IN YEMEN AMID RENEWED ATTACKS ON GLOBAL SHIPPING

The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), originated in the early 1990s in Yemen's northern highlands. Founded by Hussein al-Houthi, the group initially represented the grievances of Yemen's Zaidi Shia Muslim minority.

- PROF. ABHINAV MEHROTRA & DR. BISWANATH GUPTA

The United States has carried out a fresh wave of airstrikes in Yemen, targeting sites controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi movement. The strikes, conducted in coordination with the United Kingdom and other international partners, come in response to renewed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels traversing the Red Sea, one of the world's most critical maritime trade routes.

The Houthis have claimed responsibility for these assaults, framing them as retaliation against Israeli actions in Gaza and as an expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. In doing so, the group has once again propelled itself onto the center stage of global geopolitics, transforming the Red Sea into a volatile zone with far-reaching economic and legal implications.

The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), originated in the early 1990s in Yemen's northern highlands. Founded by Hussein al-Houthi, the group initially represented the grievances of Yemen's Zaidi Shia Muslim minority. Over time, the Houthis evolved from a socio-religious revivalist group into a potent armed faction and, eventually, a de facto governing authority in large parts of Yemen, including the capital, Sana'a.

The group maintains close ties to Iran and is widely considered a proxy force within Tehran's broader regional strategy. Alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis form part of the so-called "axis of resistance," which is an informal coalition aimed at countering the influence of Israel and the United States in the Middle East.