With the death of Yemen’s Houtis and the US Square, a new crisis is being brewed near one of the world’s most important shipping vehicles.
According to Yemeni media and sources, the US injured and killed more than 100 people on a strike in Yemen on Saturday night.
Houthis claimed a response to the US warships on Sunday evening, and the US then bombed Yemen again.
What led to this fast tat? Who started it? And what is the purpose?
This is what we know.
What happened to Yemen?
The US now claims it is targeting Houthi leaders by bombing Yemen two nights in a row.
The results on the ground have so far been 53 deaths, including children. Nearly 100 other people were injured in the attack.
Where was the attack?
The US attacks collided with the capital Sanaa, controlled by Houthis and its surroundings, and the Northern Governor of Saada and Hodeidah Port.
Who is being targeted?
US officials say they are targeting Hooty leaders.
However, Houthis says the children were one of the photographs that circulated and killed the suspected victim.
“(Trump’s) strike was very clearly following Houthi’s leadership, but it appears they didn’t bother if civilians got in the way,” independent Yemeni analyst Nick Brumfield told Al Jazeera. “The Sanaa strike targeted residential areas known to house many Hooty leaders.”
What does the US want?
The US says it will bomb Yemen until the Houtis stops. President Donald Trump claims that the Houches “targeted our troops and allies.”
Trump and his defense secretary Pete Hegses also claim Iran was behind the actions of the Hoosis and is now a “notice.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that he coordinated the attack on Yemen with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Has Houthis returned?
Houthis claimed two attacks on the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and its warships. The US has not commented.
Houthis denounced attacks by the US and UK for not taking part in the actual bombings and helping to refuel, according to the BBC.
A Houthi spokesman pledged to retaliate against the US attack.
Why is Iran catching fever?
US officials claim Iran is a strong supporter of Hooty activities in the Red Sea.
Some argue that the group is representative of Iran, but many analysts and think tanks, such as Brookings and the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), are happy to consider them as partners instead.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut said the US government “has no authority or business to direct Iran’s foreign policy.”
“Final support for Israeli genocide and terrorism,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
“Stop killing the people of Yemen.”
What started this?
On March 2, Israel stopped all aid from entering Gaza and renewed the hunger of enclaves in desperate need of food and medicine.
Five days later, Houthi’s chief Abdelmalak Al-Houthi set a four-day deadline. If Israel resumes its intersection and does not allow aid, Houthis will resume attacking Israeli-related ships through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on its way to Suez Canal.
On March 11, spokesman Yahya Saree announced the resumption of Houthis’ Red Sea operations against Israeli ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
Houthis has been attacking Israel-connected ships since November 2023, putting pressure on Israel to end the war with Gaza.
The attack stopped when a ceasefire was declared in Gaza on January 19th, and Houthis complied.
“They took the F-16 on the F-16 a few weeks after the FTO (designated) and defeated the MQ-9 by saying it was on Hodeidah Airspace. But from a transportation perspective, they’re following what they said they were trying to do,” Blumfield said.
On March 4, the Trump administration reapplied the designation of a “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO) to the Houches, about four years after his predecessor, Joe Biden, deleted it.
What effect has Houthi attacks been had?
The Red Sea receives almost 15% of the world’s maritime trade.
The Houthi attack has forced a large portion of its trade to take much longer and more expensive routes around Africa’s southern coast, increasing insurance costs and affecting inflation worldwide.
Houthis’ attack reportedly killed eight people and injured others. Most of their attacks have not been casualised.
Will Houthis be stopped by US attacks?
If their spokesman could believe it, it probably wasn’t.
Houthis’ best political council said they will not be stopped, but “escalate the situation to a more serious and disastrous level.”
“Targeting civilians indicates that America cannot stand up to the situation,” the statement added.
In the past, Houthis’ Red Sea attacks and subsequent US attacks only supported the group’s ability to employ fighter jets.
These attacks may be greater than those that Houthis has experienced before, but there are few indications they are willing to give.
Nassrudin Amer, a spokesman for Houthi, wrote to X: