How Houthi 'Hornet's Nest' May Sting US

Description

Continued harassment of Red Sea shipping is the most likely Houthi response, Andreas Krieg—an associate professor in the school of security studies at King's College, London—told Newsweek.

"They have to react in terms of saving face and legitimacy domestically," Krieg said, noting that rallies have already taken place in Houthi-controlled areas coinciding with Friday prayers. "They have to send a message."

"The Houthis have been in a state of war for an indefinite period for over 20 years, and they're happy to sustain any pressure indefinitely," Krieg added. "I think we will see more attacks on shipping from Yemen in the coming weeks."

"There's very little you can do remotely to coerce or compel the Houthis to stop," Krieg said. "The problem here is that by poking them, as they did yesterday in sending that strong message, the Houthis are most likely to be emboldened to continue."

Period	12 Jan 2024
Held at	Newsweek