US Strikes Houthi Targets in Yemen, Takes Down Drones over Red Sea

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About Houthis

The Houthis are an armed political and religious group representing Yemen’s Shia Muslim minority, the Zaidis.
Previously known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), they identify as part of the Iranian-led “Axis of Resistance” against Israel, USA and the West.
The group originated in the 1990s and derives its name from its late founder, Hussein al-Houthi.
Houthis control Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, and the northwest of the country, including the strategic Red Sea coastline.
Most of Yemen’s population lives in these areas, and the Houthis run a de facto government which collects taxes and prints money.
The internationally-recognised government of Yemen is based in the southern port of Aden.

In recent times Houthis have intensified attacks in the Red Sea, targeting commercial shipping routes and maritime operations.
Their actions have disrupted shipping traffic through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Operation Poseidon Archer (January 2024): Launched by the United States, United Kingdom, and allies to degrade Houthi military capabilities.
Operation Prosperity Guardian (December 2023): A maritime security initiative to safeguard Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks.

‘Axis of Resistance’

Origin: It was formed in the wake of the Iranian Revolution of 1979 when radical Shia Muslim clerics rose to power in Iran.
The term ‘axis of resistance’ is a response to former US President George W. Bush’s reference to Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an “axis of evil” in his 2002 State of the Union address.
Objective:
- The coalition was established to expand Iran’s political and military influence in a predominantly Sunni region.
- To counter threats from Israel and the US, and oppose Western influence in the Middle East Region.
Key Groups in the ‘Axis of Resistance’: Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) & Houthis.