Summary
U.S. airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen killed at least 31 and injured 101, according to the Houthi health ministry.
The strikes followed renewed Houthi attacks on shipping, which they say are in response to Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
A Houthi spokesperson vowed retaliation, stating, “Our response will not be delayed.” Trump warned Iran to stop supporting the Houthis, while Iran distanced itself from the group.
The conflict has disrupted Red Sea shipping, prompting the U.S. to redesignate the Houthis as a terrorist organization earlier this month.
That’s just how blockades work; what else do you want them to do?
Hard to argue that this is really a blockade. Maybe in the broadest sense. It’s a violent rebel group attacking civilians in hopes of punishing political rivals with no other clear objective. That’s basically the definition of terrorism.
The Houthis lifted the blockade as soon as aid was allowed into Gaza. The only valid argument was if the blockade would continue despite Israel lifting the forced starvation on Gaza.
What do you imagine happens when a ship violates a blockade? Because I doubt they just get a slap on the wrist.
So first, the claim they’re a “violent rebel group” is based on the American claim that their preferred government is the legitimate government of Yemen. That aside the Houthi blockade is meant to force Israel to let aid into Gaza, not just “punish them”. If that’s terrorism then every act of war is terrorism.
Heh. They were once considered American allies. Until we didn’t need their help anymore.
It might be a blockade if they were attempting to block arms or other goods to Israel, but they have long since abandoned that pretense.
By international law, a blockade must be enforced by naval ships, and violating vessels must be duly warned before being boarded and redirected. The crew and cargo may be captured or released according to the relevant laws.
They are just launching rockets at any vessel in range.
Even if you somehow consider the Houthis the legitimate government of Yemen (I think maybe Iran and a few others do), that just makes it state terrorism.
By international law aid must be getting into Gaza. International law is a useless concept and is selectively mentioned when useful to the empire. Else completely ignored.
The Houthis will follow international law as soon as the other nations do so by lifting the siege on Gaza.
Their targeting of ships was also not random. Most of the ships have turned out to be connected to either Israel or America. This is often obscured by the media by only mentioning the flag it was under.
Three killed in Houthi attack on cargo ship off Yemeni coast
I’m not sure what you are arguing here. Clearly we agree this is not a blockade, and your “evidence” that the terrorism is somehow valid is that one of the boats used to belong to an American company?
It is not blockade unless it originates near the sprankling democracy of the US. Else it’s just sprankling terrorism.
I don’t agree with that statement at all.
Whether an action is justified or not has nothing to do with whether it is a blockade. We can debate the former, but you’ve already admitted that we agree on the latter. It is, by any rational definition, not a blockade. You’ve said as much. Why are you talking in circles about this? Just move on.
Okay so I brushed up on the Houthi blockade and fair enough, I have no idea what the hell these guys are doing. I was going to argue that it’s at least mostly targeted (in which case I’d have said the ends justify the means) but it’s just not so I’ll have to concede this one.
well, I dunno, maybe not blockade?
Uh… You do know why they’re imposing a blockade right?
A blockade doesn’t work if you can’t defend it. They can do whatever they want but actions have consequences.
Okay? It worked the last time they did it so there’s no reason to believe it won’t work now.