“Their recklessness and willingness to escalate in the face of a challenge are always underrated.” “The Houthis are far more savvy, prepared and well-equipped than many western commentators realise,” Farea al Muslimi, from the Chatham House Middle East programme, said. “If you don’t act against the Houthis in the Red Sea, you are going to see more attacks,” David Cameron said yesterday.īut in this piece, Patrick Wintour hears from analysts who fear the opposite impact. That may mean more strikes in the coming days. “These are mobile facilities in a big country – you’d need unbelievably good intelligence, fantastic accuracy, and quite a lot of luck.” “It’s almost impossible to completely eradicate those kind of capabilities with a couple of rounds of airstrikes,” Jason said. The operation is intended to re-establish deterrence and offer some protection to commercial shipping, rather than wipe the Houthi forces off the map.īut US officials quoted by the New York Times say that the Houthis retain about three-quarters of their ability to fire on shipping. The attacks have hit radar systems, drone storage and launch sites according to the Houthis’ spokesperson, five of its members have been killed. The Houthis say that the attacks will only stop when “the Israeli war on the people of Gaza stops”. The US/UK strikes in Yemen, carried out with the support of the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain, came in response to 26 attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia on vessels passing through the Red Sea – jeopardising a major trade route linking Asia to Europe and the US. Here’s a primer on some of the reasons why.ĭamage to Houthis is limited – and they could seek to respond But, Jason said, “there is definitely more tension about the possibility than a couple of months ago. There are still important factors holding back an escalation that spirals out of control. “But across the region, a lot of what has happened is performative – it is about actors sending messages in a very complex, constantly evolving situation.” “It is unadulterated, brutal violence in Gaza,” said Jason Burke, who is currently reporting from Jerusalem. Since then, Israel has killed about 24,000 people, and about 85% of the Gazan population has been displaced. It’s now 101 days since the Hamas attack that started Israel’s war in Gaza. In depth: How an accidental escalation could happenĪn Israeli artillery unit fires across the border towards Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. One official called the rehearsal “a comedy of errors”. Monarchy | The only rehearsal for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral had a band at the wrong start point, a Gentleman at Arms nearly crushed at Marble Arch and “everything that could go wrong … go wrong”, a new biography on King Charles has said. The details from Oxfam come as the world’s richest people gather for the annual World Economic Forum meeting of political leaders, corporate executives and the super-rich. Two fissures formed near the town on Sunday after an increase in seismic activity that prompted authorities to evacuate the community the day before.ĭavos | The world’s five richest men have more than doubled their fortunes to £681.5bn since 2020, while the world’s poorest 60% have lost money. Iceland | Houses have caught fire in the fishing town of Grindavík in south-west Iceland after a volcano erupted for the second time in less than a month. The victims were part of a group of more than 70 people attempting to board boats off the seaside resort of Wimereux. Read Daniel Boffey’s analysis.Ĭhannel crossings | Five people have died and a sixth is in a critical condition after getting into difficulty in icy waters trying to reach the UK from northern France, the French maritime authority has said. Causes of the crisis are thought to include the falling purchasing value of the pound and a government policy of taxing manufacturers. Health | An unprecedented medicines shortage in the NHS is endangering lives, pharmacists have said, as unpublished figures reveal that the number of products in short supply has doubled in two years. Today’s newsletter, with the Guardian’s international security correspondent Jason Burke, is about how to think about the risks. Last night, the US said that a missile targeting one of its warships had been intercepted, and a Houthi spokesperson said that further attacks could involve hundreds of drones and missiles – which would be a significant escalation.īut the Houthis are far from the only players – and no one can predict exactly what it would take for one of these “danger points” to precipitate a wider conflict.
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