Experts: The Houthis are a new obstacle for the US
The fact that the Iran-backed Houthi movement is interfering in the war risks having both political and economic effects, states Peter Haldén at the Swedish National Defense University.
– It reinforces the picture of a situation that is slipping out of the US's hands, he says.
On Saturday, the Houthi movement in Yemen entered the war by firing a missile at Israel. The new front will affect Israel the most as the country will likely receive most of the attacks, assesses Peter Haldén, associate professor of war science at the Swedish National Defense University.
– There will be even more for them to keep track of. We have already seen that Israel's robotic shields, this three-layer system, work quite well but not flawlessly, he says.
Critical strait
Despite heavy attacks from both Israel and the US in recent years, the Houthis still have an arsenal of weapons that poses a threat to the region, according to Peter Haldén.
During the Gaza war, the movement targeted ships in the Red Sea. Now there is a risk that the critical Bab el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea with several important shipping routes, will be closed. For the already pressured oil trade, the threat poses risks of new disruptions.
- This reinforces the image that this is an escalating situation that has not been addressed in Washington, says Peter Haldén.
Obstacles for Trump
The Houthis' entry also creates new obstacles for US President Donald Trump to reach a solution to the conflict, notes Jan Hallenberg, professor emeritus of political science at the Swedish National Defence University. Not least if the economic situation worsens.
– The economic damage is caused by the US and Israel attacking Iran. Ultimately, it falls back on the president to handle this situation, and it will be much more difficult if the economic and political costs are higher, he says.
Jan Hallenberg still believes that Trump is looking for a quick way out of the war, despite reports that more American troops are about to be sent to the Middle East.
– The only problem is that he has no plan. Now he is improvising, because there is no plan B, he says.
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