Houthis shoring up power in Yemen with Red Sea strikes to support Gaza, analysts say
Geopolitical observers say the Houthis' disruption of trade in the Red Sea, ostensibly in support of Palestinians in Gaza, is winning them new recruits in Yemen, where they control two-thirds of the population, often through brutal means.
![Houthis shoring up power in Yemen with Red Sea strikes to support Gaza, analysts say](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7083032.1705147414!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/1920153598.jpg)
![TOPSHOT - Huthi fighters brandish their weapons during a protest following US and British forces strikes, in the Huthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 12, 2024 amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant Hamas group in Gaza. US and British forces struck rebel-held Yemen early on January 12, after weeks of disruptive attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Iran-backed Huthis who say they act in solidarity with Gaza. The pre-dawn air strikes add to escalating fears of wider conflict in the region, where violence involving Tehran-aligned groups in Yemen as well as Lebanon, Iraq and Syria has surged since the Israel-Hamas was began in early October. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images) Men hold weapons in the air during a protest.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7083032.1705147414!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/1920153598.jpg)
Geopolitical observers say the Houthis' disruption of trade in the Red Sea, ostensibly in support of Palestinians in Gaza, is winning them new recruits in Yemen, where they control two-thirds of the population, often through brutal means.