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Strike on Yemen -

On January 12, 2024, British and US forces carried out an attack on Houthi targets in Yemen after the Iranian-backed group defied a warning to stop targeting ships in the Red Sea. Pictured is a Typhoon taking off from Royal Air Force (RAF) Akrotiri military airbase in Cyprus to conduct its mission.

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Houthi positions targeted -

A view from the US and British naval fleet as a missile is fired towards Yemen.

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Cities bombed -

The combined airstrikes zeroed in on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, specifically the cities of Saana, Al Hudaydah, and Taiz.

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Red Sea disruption -

In the wake of Israel's war on Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Houthi rebels in Yemen pledged disruption on all ships destined for Israel through the Red Sea.

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Shipping rerouted -

As a result of Houthi action, vessel traffic plummeted 20% in the Red Sea as shipping companies suspended their operations or shifted their routes to South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, significantly adding to journey times and cost.

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Galaxy Leader seized -

On November 19, 2023, Houthi rebels boarded the Galaxy Leader from a helicopter, seizing the ship and escorting it to the Port of Salif.

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Houthi small ships targeted -

The following month, on December 31, US Navy helicopters launched from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (pictured in a file photo) and USS Gravely fired on Houthi small boats attempting to board a container ship, the Maersk Hangzhou. Three boats were sank and a fourth fled the area. The deaths of 10 militants marked a new phase in the crisis.

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Conflict over the Red Sea -

Then on January 9, 2024, fighter jets from HMS Diamond and US warships shot down 21 drones and missiles launched by Houthi rebels over the southern Red Sea—the armed group's 26th attack on international shipping lanes in the last seven weeks. Pictured is HMS Diamond with the Eisenhower during an earlier operation.

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Attacks not tolerated -

In a statement issued shortly after the attacks, US President Joe Biden said: "These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical commercial routes."

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Western military response -

On January 10, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, warned that further attacks could prompt a Western military response.

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"Barbaric" -

The Houthis described the attacks as "barbaric" and vowed to continue targeting ships heading towards Israel. Pictured is Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea during a press conference in Sanaa on January 3.

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Who are the Houthis? -

The Houthis, a Shia Islamist political and military organization, emerged out of Yemen in the 1990s.

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The Houthi movement -

The Houthi movement takes its name from the Yemini Zaidi religious leader Hussein al-Houthi, who was assassinated in 2004.

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Ali Abdullah Saleh -

The Houthi movement was already enjoying considerable support from Shia Yemenis when Al-Houthi was killed. They were fed up with the corruption and cruelty of the longtime authoritarian president and Saudi ally, Ali Abdullah Saleh (pictured).

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Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi -

Al-Houthi's death sparked the Houthi insurgency, and, after protests and several assassination attempts on his life, Saleh was forced to resign in 2012. He was replaced by a Sunni from the south of Yemen—Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who enjoyed the backing of the West.

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Overthrow of Sanaa -

In 2014 in what many saw as a remarkable and hypocritical reversal of alliances, the Houthis affiliated with their former enemy Saleh to seize the capital, Sanaa, and overthrew Mansur Hadi. 

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Military campaign -

Soon afterwards, Hadi was forced to flee. The exiled Yemeni government asked its allies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to launch a military campaign to drive out the rebels. The West gave the request its blessing.

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Civil war -

Shortly after Houthi forces took over the capital, civil war broke out in Yemen. According to United Nations estimates, by 2021 around 377,000 people had died in the conflict and four million were displaced.

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Fragile truce -

By 2023, fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi coalition had largely subsided, a fragile truce in place since April 2022 still holding.

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Abdul-Malik al-Houthi -

The Houthi movement is currently led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the brother of slain Hussein al-Houthi. Pictured is a Houthi fighter standing guard in front of a banner that reads in Arabic: "Death to America, Death to Israel."

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Israel-Hamas War -

Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, prompted a swift and deadly response from Israel.

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High death toll... and counting -

As of January 11, 2024, a staggering 24,000 people (22,800 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis) have been killed in the conflict.

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Support for Palestinians -

The onset of war in Gaza also prompted an angry response from Hezbollah in Lebanon and supporters of the Houthi movement in Yemen. Pictured are demonstrators lifting the Palestinian and Yemeni flags and posters of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

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Protests -

Yemeni protestors loyal to the Houthi movement march as they participate in a protest held on January 11 against Israel's ongoing war on Gaza.

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A sophisticated army -

Western military analysts and political commentators agree that the Houthis are no longer seen as a rag-tag army. The Yemeni militia group have an advanced arsenal, which includes drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, and anti-ship weapons.

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Legitimate means? -

The Houthi operations are seen by some Yemenis as a legitimate means of exerting pressure on Israel and its allies in defense of Palestinian civilians.

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No link with Gaza? -

But British and US officials deny a link between the Houthis' action and what's happening in Gaza, according to analysis by the UK's Sky News.

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Normalizing relations -

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is attempting to normalize relations with Iran—it revived direct communication channels with the Houthis in 2022. A peace deal could recognize Houthi control of the north of Yemen, despite the presence of an internationally recognized government in the south of the country.

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Possibility of further strikes -

On January 12, the day after the US and UK strikes on Yemen, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, speaking to Sky News, did not rule out the possibility of further strikes against Houthi rebels in the country, arguing the UK must do "what is necessary" to protect its ships.

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A wider, more dangerous conflict? -

The fact is Red Sea disruptions are costing companies millions of dollars, while the attacks of Houthi strongholds in Yemen could still escalate into a wider and even more dangerous conflict.

Sources: (Reuters) (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (Sky News) (United Nations) (Global Conflict Tracker) (Middle East Institute)

See also: The Israel-Hamas conflict—the origins behind the current attacks

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