For months, analysts have warned of the possibility of Israel's genocide in Gaza sparking a regional war. In Yemen, that war is already here. Beginning on Jan. 12, the US and UK have conducted a series of air strikes in Yemen in retaliation for its efforts to block Israeli shipping in the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab Strait. Just days later, the Biden administration declared Ansarallah, better known in the West as the Houthis, a terrorist organization.

The Pentagon has attempted to frame its latest war on Yemen as an act of self-defense to protect freedom of trade and navigation from "terrorism". Yet Ansarallah has definite political motivations for its actions—stopping Israel's genocide by applying pressure to end the siege of Gaza. As Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree made clear in a statement, "ships bound for the Zionist entity will not pass through if food and medicine do not enter the Gaza Strip."

Thus far, there are few indications that Ansarallah will prematurely end its blockade, or that the US will cease conducting air strikes against Yemen. Jehan Hakim of the Yemeni Alliance Committee joins The Real News for a conversation on Yemen's recent history and the deep solidarity of its people with Palestine.

Additional links:

• Use this toolkit to join the Yemeni Alliance Committee's campaign to end US involvement in the war on Yemen

Studio Production: Adam Coley
Post-Production: David Hebden

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