| ID | 197188 |
| Title Proper | Unpalatable Options |
| Other Title Information | Confronting the Houthis |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Juneau, Thomas |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Attacks by the Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group from northwest Yemen and now its de facto governing authority, pose a significant threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and therefore to the global economy. Washington faces a range of unpalatable options to deal with this threat. The current approach of limited American and British airstrikes is flawed, but the alternatives – no airstrikes or more airstrikes – are arguably worse. Under a more ambitious strategy, the United States would through diplomacy help rebuild the internationally recognised government of Yemen, which nominally brings together anti-Houthi factions but is in fact fragmented and weak. Only this option has a realistic prospect of modifying the balance of power inside Yemen and containing the Houthis’ regional threat. Otherwise, the Houthis are likely to consolidate power, which would be a tragedy for the Yemeni people given the brutality of Houthi rule, and present a perennial danger to regional security given their ambitions. |
| `In' analytical Note | Survival : the IISS Quarterly Vol. 66, No.5; Oct-Nov 2024: p.183-200 |
| Journal Source | Survival : the IISS Quarterly Vol: 66 No 5 |
| Key Words | Diplomacy ; Maritime Security ; Iran ; Red Sea ; Gulf of Aden ; Gaza War ; Ansar Allah ; Houthis |