Responsible Statecraft Think Tank: The Houthis are playing with fire, but why are America and Israel confused?
Since the hijacking of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea last week, the Houthis have fired ballistic missiles that landed within ten nautical miles of the USS Mason on Sunday. The missile launch followed the intervention of a US Navy destroyer in an attempt to hijack another ship, the Central Park oil tanker, in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis denied responsibility for the hijacking, which appears to have been carried out by Somali pirates.
The Houthis, who control most of northwestern Yemen, continue to launch cruise missiles and armed drones at Israel.
There are no good options when it comes to dealing with the Houthis. They are a powerful near-government organization that has been repeatedly evolved and tested during nearly two decades of war. Since 2014, when they took control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, the Houthis have systematically recruited many of the best engineers, technicians, and officers from the Yemeni military and intelligence services into their organization.
This consolidation, along with Iranian assistance, has transformed the Houthis from a staunch guerrilla force into a sophisticated military group that is now, at least at a low level, a major regional player.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which began to intervene in Yemen in 2015, realize how stubborn and determined the Houthis are as an enemy. After the Houthis’ repeated attacks on the borders, as well as missile and drone attacks on the country’s territory, Saudi Arabia’s position changed from war to negotiation.
These talks, which were conducted with the help of China and Iran, before the Houthis practically declared war on Israel, talks with Saudi Arabia were approaching a peace treaty, but now it is different from the past.
The United States has indicated that the Biden administration is considering re-designating the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The Trump administration previously designated the Houthis as an FTO in January 2021, which was then revoked by the Biden administration. While the designation is more justified now than when it was first imposed, it will have little effect on the Houthis or their leadership.
Senior Houthi members do not leave Yemen and have no foreign assets that are subject to seizure. Indeed, this designation will be celebrated in Sanaa as proof of the Houthis’ “victory”. However, the FTO designation will hurt non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian aid that must deal with the Houthis.
Military strikes, which are undoubtedly in an advanced stage of planning, are an equally poor option for dealing with the Houthis. This militant group not only survived years of attacks by Saudi Arabia and the UAE during their intervention in Yemen but also progressed militarily and politically. The Saudi-led and UAE-led airstrikes sparked public outrage and served as the glue that held the sprawling Houthi organization together.