Global coalition needed to respond to Houthi attacks
Arab News · Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib ·
Global coalition needed to respond to Houthi attacks
What is important to understand about the recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia is that this is not merely a conflict between the Kingdom and some renegade group in a neighboring country. It is a conflict that affects navigation in the Red Sea and thus worldwide trade. That is why the world should be concerned about the Houthi attacks just as much as Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis claim their attacks are against the Kingdom only and they will not disrupt navigation in the Red Sea. They claim that ships, including American and Israeli ones, can pass — only Saudi vessels will be targeted. They said this in an effort to pacify the international community. However, the world should be smarter than this and understand that if the Houthis control the Yemeni west coast and the Red Sea, they will impose their own rules on everyone.
Unfortunately, several actors do not see the big picture and have been looking at this conflict from a narrow angle. Iran sees in this destabilization the chance for new leverage, both with the US and with neighboring countries. It wants to see maximum damage inflicted on Saudi Arabia and then act as a mediator between the Kingdom and the Houthis. Through this mediation, it will seek to impose its terms on Riyadh.
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