(Image via news.com.au)

Business Manager: Brendan Flaherty

Email: bflaherty1@umassd.edu

Singapore and American warships have found themselves targeted by Iranian-backed rebels from Yemen, a group called the “Houthi rebels.” According to the U.S. Military, the ship is unharmed and ultimately stays on course with “no injuries or damages reported.”

The problem with their attacks, though, is that the target of the pressure is not Israel but another country and their allies.

But why?

Houthi rebels are acting against the continuing of the war in Gaza, using their power to attack the U.S. in an effort to “pressure Israel into stopping the war.” The rebel group has a goal to retaliate against those who might fight back against Israel during its bombing of Gaza.

They have gone on to boast about what they have attempted to do, such as sending around 37 armed drones to attack American warships—though these drones have ultimately no effect.

A few days previously, the Houthi rebels carried out a successful attack on a commercial ship, effectively sinking it and killing at least three people aboard, and forcing the others to abandon the ship.

They also carried out another attack in February on a “fertilizer-carrying cargo ship, the Rubymar,” according to ABC News.

“This is the fifth [anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthis in the last two days,” states the  U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Though the rebels fight for a cause they believe to be just, their impact is significant, and their targets are unrelated to the war in Gaza. The string of attacks has been consistently disrupting trade and causing much tension with the U.S. and its allies against Yemen.

It could be assumed that the rebels are simply using the war in Gaza as a shield for their attacks, almost as a way to make their attacks seem more righteous and good. However, this could not be further from the case, seeing as the targets have little significance in the war and end up taking more unnecessary lives in the process.

Recently, the U.S. launched its counterattacks and has thus destroyed “two Houthi truck-mounted anti-ship missiles in Yemen,” according to ABC News. The U.S. has also been successful in defending itself from several drones and various other attacks that have come their way.

Shipping companies have reportedly deterred any ships from going into the Gulf of Aden or the Red Sea due to fear of the Rebels, as mentioned in The Irish News.

The real targets of the rebel’s missile attacks are smaller and much less protected commercial ships, with only enough defenses to deter pirate attacks.

As the number of ship attacks and the number of innocent lives lost increases, the Houthi rebels have done nothing to acknowledge the damage that they’ve caused. Instead, they place the blame on America.

“We hold America responsible for the repercussions of everything that happens,” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote online.

As of right now, the U.S. and the Yemen forces have yet to truly clash and have been launching small counter-attacks to deter further ones.

We can only wait to see how these conflicts might unfold and whether the U.S. intends to make the fight against the rebels into a much larger one.