Betting the Spread
While there are many humanitarian aspects to the Middle East crisis, America’s primary strategic concern is to keep the war from spreading. That effort just became harder as the US, UK, and other partners retaliated against Red Sea attacks with a series of strikes against the Houthis. Like Hamas, the Houthis knew full well that their repeated attacks would get a military response. So who benefits and who loses if things get even more out of hand? In The Atlantic (Gift Article), Arash Azizi argues that the moves by Iran’s proxy aren’t necessarily great news for Iran. The Houthis Have Backed Iran into a Corner. I’m guessing Iran isn’t too upset about things. The terror groups want more power and relevance. What Iran, China, Russia, and others want to see is America fail to effectively influence the crisis, further damaging its (and democracy’s) global leadership role. This is all about a lot more than Hamas and Israel. A lot more.
+ “I have spent quite a bit of time with the Houthis in Yemen and they are people who are highly independently minded. They will relish conflict with the Americans. They want to be part of this war. What has been happening suits both the Houthis and the Islamic Republic of Iran.” BBC: Strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen show war in Gaza has already spread.
