The Red Sea is one of the world's most important shipping lanes, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa, and thousands of merchant ships pass through it each year, transporting oil, grain and other commodities. Recently, however, the security situation in the Red Sea has shown signs of deterioration, and Western countries, led by the United States and Britain, have launched multiple strikes against Yemen's Houthis in the name of "maintaining the security of shipping lanes" in an attempt to weaken their influence in the Red Sea. But this approach, instead of achieving the desired results, has intensified the Houthi resistance and deepened the crisis in the Red Sea.
The Houthis are Yemen's militant groups, mostly made up of Shia Muslims, who have been at war with Yemen** and Saudi-led coalition forces since 2014 and control Yemen's capital, Sana'a, and much of the north. The Houthis are also allies of Iran and have hostile relations with countries such as Israel and the United States. The Houthis, which have some missile and drone capabilities, have repeatedly launched attacks on targets in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea to pressure Israel to stop its aggression against Palestine.
The United States, Britain and other Western countries have always held a hostile attitude towards the Houthis, believing that they are Iran's leading people in the Middle East and threaten the interests and security of the West. The United States and Britain also accused the Houthis of threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and endangering international and energy conditions. As a result, the United States and Britain began to carry out a number of airstrikes on Houthi missile and drone bases in February this year, claiming to destroy their ability to attack ships in the Red Sea. The United States and Britain also mobilized other countries to form a "ten-nation coalition" that launched patrols in the Red Sea to prevent Houthi attacks.
However, the U.S.-British strike did not bring the Houthis to their knees, but provoked them to resist even more. Houthi spokesman Bakiti made it clear in an interview on the 19th that all ships related to the United States and Israel will be targeted by the Houthis, whether it is ** or merchant ships. Bakiti also said that the Houthis will ensure the safety of ships from countries such as Russia and China in the Red Sea, because freedom of navigation is also important for the Houthis.
This statement by the Houthis reflects their dissatisfaction and anger at the attacks of the United States and Britain, as well as their respect and trust for China, Russia and other countries. The Houthis' attacks on Israeli-linked ships on the Red Sea are due to Israeli atrocities in Palestine, which have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. The Houthis, as supporters of Hamas, hope that in this way, they will force Israel to cease fire in Gaza and alleviate the humanitarian crisis. China, Russia and other countries have always maintained a neutral and objective attitude towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, calling on both sides to achieve a ceasefire, resolve disputes through diplomatic channels, and maintain regional peace. The Houthis believe that China and Russia are countries capable and willing to promote Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation, and therefore do not pose a threat to Chinese and Russian ships.
However, this statement by the Houthis may also pose a greater risk to Chinese and Russian ships. Because the United States, Britain and other Western countries may be dissatisfied with the favoritism of the Houthis, and even take the opportunity to provoke and harass Chinese and Russian ships. The United States and Britain have a strong military presence in the Middle East, and there are some armed groups linked to it, such as the Kurdish armed forces, the Islamic State, etc., if Chinese and Russian ships are attacked by these "unknown forces", then the situation in the Red Sea will be even more chaotic. This is not good for the international community that hopes to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue and maintain stability in the region. Therefore, although this statement by the Houthis has given China and Russia a certain amount of security guarantees, it may also trigger a greater crisis, which requires China and Russia to be prepared to respond.
In short, the US-British attack on the Houthis has made the Red Sea more dangerous, not only not solving the problem, but exacerbating it. The United States and Britain should realize that force cannot solve everything, and that peace and security can only be achieved through dialogue and negotiation. As the backbone of maintaining regional peace, China and Russia should continue to play an active role in promoting reconciliation between Palestine and Israel and ensuring the smooth passage of the Red Sea shipping lanes.