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The Houthi group, Iran’s ally in Yemen, has become a security threat to the Middle East provinces. Considering the growing nuclear threats from Iran in the Middle East and Africa regions, the Houthi Attacks have had a significant impact on security issues in the Middle East. In 2015, Saudi Arabia led a group of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa to intervene in the Yemeni Civil War. The UAE played a significant role in this military alliance. Due to various military interventions, internal and external political problems, and insurgencies, Yemen has faced numerous human rights violations.
After Saudi Arabia, the UAE is the Middle East’s chief powerhouse. Thus, the recent attacks by the Houthis against UAE have raised many questions on whether UAE is directly involved in the ongoing attacks in Yemen.
Who Are the Houthis?
The Houthis are a group of Zaydi Shiites or Zaydiyyah, officially called Ansar Allah (Supporters of God), founded in the 1990s. They are a prominent tribe that follows the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam, currently led by Abdul- Malik Badruldheen al-Houthi. They predominantly live around the northern region of Yemen.
Most region of north Yemen is under the control of Houthis, whom Iran backs. The number of fighters has been on a constant rise, calculating up to more than 1,00,000 troop members, and was included as one of the most powerful tribes in the country known as the Hamdan. Certain reports have stated that they have established a stable government in Yemen in favour of local citizens. They also set up courts and prisons in the areas they control.
Background of Saudi-Led Coalition
In 2011, a popular rebellion in Yemen forced its ancient authoritarian president Ali Abdullah Saleh to transfer power to his deputy president Abdrubbah Mansur Hadi. He came to power with the strong support of Saudi Arabia. The new president was overwhelmed with Yemen’s economic and security problems, such as attacks by Jihadists and Houthis. Nevertheless, most of Yemen’s armed forces sensed more faithfulness to the ousted president than they did to Mr. Mansur Hadi.
Image courtesy-BBC
The challenges faced by Mansur Hadi have provided huge advantages for the Houthi rebels. The Houthis snatched the control of Saada Province in 2014 and then confined the nation’s capital, Sanaa forcing president Hadi to flee abroad. After that, Mansur Hadi sought help from Saudi Arabia. Saudi was distressed by the potential of Houthis taking control of Yemen, fearing it would become dangerous with Iran’s support.
Later, in 2015, Saudi Arabia and UAE heading a coalition of 9 countries from West Asia and North Africa, initiated an intervention in the Yemeni Civil War. This coalition acquired several forms of support like logistics and intelligence from the UK, USA, and France. In August 2015, troops made their foot in the port city of Aden and forced the Houthi to come out from south Yemen, but the troops failed to displace them from north Yemen. The official government of Yemen, backed up by the coalition, has been fighting for seven long years to hunt them down from the province of Yemen.
Image courtesy-Al Jazeera
US’s Stand on the Houthis
The US, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, has provided various services and support like weapons and intelligence to fight the Houthis. However, more recently, it diminished due to increasing reports of regional human rights violations. Before leaving office, former President Donald Trump declared that Houthis are a foreign terrorist organization, but the Biden Administration revoked this designation.
Image courtesy-Foreign Policy
Biden stressed that Americans would give support to end all forms of offensive operations in Yemen, even by selling arms. He also introduced a special envoy to strengthen the peace process in Yemen. The recent attack of Houthis in the form of drones has further complicated the situation. The Arab coalition answered immediately in Houthi-controlled Sanaa. The UAE has asked the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to re-designate them as a foreign terrorist organization. The Biden administration is considering putting them back on the list in light of new attacks.
Why are the Houthis Targeting UAE?
The United Arab Emirates also belonged to a part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis and has officially backed Yemen’s government since March 2015. The UAE has lowered its direct military involvement against the Houthis in Yemen for the past few years. Southern Transitional Council (STC) and the joint forces, which the UAE government backs, have largely eluded offensives against the Houthis.
In the past few months, forces have restarted their devastative actions against Houthis. The Giants Brigades, a force largely consisting of South Yemenis fighting as part of the Joint Forces on the Red Sea coast, moved units east to Shabwah in late December and forced the Houthis to move out from the governorate. These brigades tried to seize several Houthi territories. This made a significant shift in the battleground of Yemen. The introduction of this group and the UAE’s military acumen have shifted the battle in Marib and Shabwah. This is the main reason why Houthis are now carrying out their escalation against UAE.
Image courtesy-Foreign Policy
The Houthi’s incursion in Shabwa created control over the city and its main gas export facility. However, they were removed by the army of Yemen from their last outpost. Later, its liberation from the Houthi forces exposed ideas like counter-terrorism among the UAE-trained Shabwami Elite Forces.
Unexpected political alterations in Shabwa would have a critical impact on the Houthi battlefield. The most important would be the removal of the former governor of Shabwa, who was clearly opposing the UAE’s intervention. The idea behind the governor’s removal lies mainly in the hands of the UAE by appointing a well-known parliamentarian who will stand and support the two key players in the south, the Southern Transitional Council and the United Arab Emirates.
Conclusion
The past decades of Yemen witnessed several military attacks and political instabilities throughout the nation. It has stemmed far-reaching effects on the social and economic sectors of Yemen. The Yemeni people were driven back by the Saudi-UAE allied military operations that lasted for seven years. In addition to the Saudi-led coalition, other military interventions by the UAE are disrupting the atmosphere in Yemen.
The attacks on the UAE by the Houthis have instigated difficulties in many ways. This poses a significant threat to the security of the Middle East.
If the Houthi-UAE conflict continues, it will create complications for various countries worldwide, especially in Asia. These complications arising in Yemen will be a major hindrance to peace formation and negotiations, which the United States and the UN will initiate.
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About the Author
Apart from being a talented football player and a hodophile, Unais is also an active social worker in Kerala. He is pursuing his master’s degree from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, in International Relations and Politics. From his political science background, he has a keen interest in areas like Migration and Refugee Studies, Gender Studies and World Politics.
