The Iran-backed Houthis have reacted to the US announcement of new naval support in the Red Sea. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the creation of a new multinational security initiative, Operation Prosperity Guardian, on Tuesday during a visit to Bahrain.
The purpose of the force involving major countries. Britain, France, the United States, Italy and others are responsible for ensuring the safety of the Red Sea. The Yemen-based jihadist movement has escalated its attacks in recent weeks, attacking numerous ships.
The Houthis are now responding. In several articles in al-Masira sympathetic to the movement, the group clearly expressed its views. First of all, the Houthis claim that the coalition formed by the United States is meant to protect Israel. They accuse the US of “militarizing” the seas, even though it is the Houthis who are attacking and hijacking ships.
“The naval operation in Yemen is aimed at supporting the Palestinian people against the invasion and siege of Gaza, and is not a show of force or a challenge to anyone,” the Houthis insist. In reality, they are illegally attacking ships, creating an unprecedented crisis in the region.
It is clear that the Houthis are closely monitoring the formation of new initiatives. They know that a US-owned aircraft carrier is currently approaching Yemen. They also know that another US destroyer is in the Red Sea supporting the Americans. USS Mason and USS Carney.
“The United States wanted 40 countries to join this coalition, but only nine responded to Washington, most of them allies of Washington… Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Seychelles Houthi media added: “According to observers, Bahrain’s participation is worthless.”
This shows that the Iranian-backed Houthis are paying close attention to what happens next. They are betting that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE are unlikely to openly participate, and intend to blackmail these countries.
Houthis aim to disrupt economic relations in the Middle East
Al-Masira’s second article related to the Houthis shows their true objectives. They cite previous reports of close economic cooperation between Israel and regional countries. Announcements about new rail projects were made during the G20 summit in September.
report on globe “Today, at the G20 summit in New Delhi, the US, India, EU and Saudi Arabia announced the push for a major rail and sea transport corridor between India and Europe via the Middle East. , includes rail links between Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“The summit will be attended by leaders including US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and EU President Ursula von der Leyen, and will strengthen economic ties between the two countries. It shows that leaders are attaching importance to their plans to move forward in Riyadh and Jerusalem. ”
The Houthis want to thwart this. Hamas’ attacks on Israel also aimed to derail any possibility of normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Iran’s hand is intertwined throughout this agenda. The Houthis are now accusing Arab countries of enabling land transport that could aid Israel.
They openly point out that such a route could “compensate for the Red Sea route, which the Yemeni military has closed to enemy ships and those heading for it.” Houthi media went on to claim that “this clearly shows that this overpass is a manifestation of the puppet regime’s collaboration with the Zionists.”
This means the Houthis could expand their attacks on regional countries. These attacks already pose a risk to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, as Houthi drones and missiles risk flying over or colliding with those countries.