Nick Schifrin :
The Houthis are an Iranian-backed rebel group that in 2014 seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s northern highlands and coast along the Red Sea. Most of the rest of Yemen is controlled by the internationally recognized government, which has fought the Houthis with the support of a Saudi-led coalition that failed to defeat the Houthis with seven years of U.S.-backed airstrikes.
Beginning in November 2023, Houthi rebels launched more than 100 attacks on commercial vessels and U.S. Navy ships. The Houthis claimed to attack ships linked to Israel in solidarity with the war in Gaza, but their targets were much wider. Earlier this year, during a Gaza cease-fire, the Houthis paused their attacks.
But when Israel blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza and restarted the war, the Houthis started targeting Israel again and vowed to target ships. In mid-March, the U.S. started a new bombing campaign that for the first time targeted Houthi leadership, vowing to continue it until the Houthis stopped their attacks in the Red Sea, a vital trade corridor.
To discuss this, I am joined by Mustapha Noman, the vice foreign minister of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Mustapha Noman, thank you very much. Welcome.
