The Houthi rebels are already winners in the current Red Sea confrontation, observers say. Thanks to US strikes, they have boosted their own legitimacy in Yemen and further afield. Even critics have praised them.
The Houthi rebels are already winners in the current confrontation with US forces, observers say. It has boosted their legitimacy in Yemen and further afield, and could spell a change in regional power dynamics.
On January 12, the United States and the United Kingdom, supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, launched military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group’s attacks on civilian and military ships in the Red Sea. The U.S.-led strikes are a significant escalation and part of the growing regional impact of the Israel-Hamas war, which the United States has been actively trying to prevent from turning into a regional war.
Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg held talks in Muscat on Tuesday with Omani officials and the spokesman of the Iran-backed Houthi militias to “operationalize” a roadmap for peace. The roadmap would build on the commitments made by the Yemeni parties, through Saudi and Omani mediation, towards restoring peace in Yemen. This was Grundberg’s first visit to Muscat since his announcement that he had received commitments from the Yemeni government and Houthis to form a roadmap for peace.