Yemen Conflict Escalates: Saudi Arabia Seeks Multinational Support, Houthi Forces Issue Stern Warning

Recently, the conflict between the Houthi armed group in Yemen and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has continued to escalate, with both sides launching missile and drone attacks against each other, resulting in numerous casualties. Meanwhile, the UK has stated it will provide "defensive" military support to Saudi Arabia.

Some analysts believe that the UK's support will allow the conflict in Yemen to continue to expand or prolong to some extent.

The conflict in Yemen continues to escalate

Causing multiple casualties

A local official from the Yemeni government stated on the 22nd that fierce clashes occurred again that day between the Yemeni government forces and the Houthi armed group in the southwestern Taiz province, resulting in at least 16 deaths and dozens of injuries.

Abdulaziz Shebani, the district chief of Shamayatain in western Taiz province, reported that government forces repelled an attack by the Houthi armed group in the area that day, killing 12 Houthi fighters and injuring dozens more. During the clashes, government forces also captured two Houthi fighters. Shebani stated that four soldiers from the government forces were killed in the fighting, with several others injured.

Additionally, Majid Nuzaili, a spokesperson for the Yemeni government forces, issued a statement that day saying that government forces conducted airstrikes on Houthi military equipment and personnel in the Red Sea port city of Mocha in Taiz province and in the central Bayda province.

According to a statement released by the Houthi armed group on the 22nd, their recent military operations in the western coastal areas of Yemen, particularly in the southwestern Taiz province and western Hodeidah province, have resulted in over 600 casualties among government forces, with hundreds of government personnel captured.

That evening, the Houthi armed group also stated that in the past 24 hours, Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets conducted a total of 19 airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, resulting in casualties including women and children. The Houthis claimed that following the escalation of the situation, Saudi Arabia has conducted a total of 936 airstrikes and missile attacks on Yemen.

Multiple factors driving the situation

The UK supports Saudi Arabia under the guise of defense

As the conflict between the Houthi armed group and Saudi Arabia escalates, Saudi Arabia, facing a decline in its missile interception stockpile, has sought support from countries like the UK and France.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated on the 21st that at Saudi Arabia's request, the UK will provide "defensive" military support to help counter Houthi attacks. The UK will deploy a Royal Air Force Voyager tanker aircraft to provide aerial refueling support for Saudi military aircraft carrying out defensive missions, and this support does not involve broader military operations. This operation is expected to begin in the coming days and may last for several weeks.

According to reports from Cyprus on the 22nd, a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus will serve as the takeoff and landing base for the UK's Voyager tanker aircraft.

Qin Tian, deputy director of the Middle East Institute at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, stated that the UK's so-called "defensive" military support for Saudi Arabia mainly involves refueling services, not direct airstrikes against the Houthi armed group, making this support indirect and limited, thus its impact on the ground battlefield situation is also limited.

Qin Tian analyzed that the UK's involvement in the Yemeni conflict to some extent is primarily to protect its economic interests. The UK and, more broadly, Europe, rely heavily on trade routes through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea for their economic exchanges with the Asia-Pacific region. Now, as the Houthis increase their attacks in the Red Sea, the UK's economic exchanges have been negatively impacted.

Overall, Qin Tian believes that the UK's support will allow the conflict in Yemen to continue to expand or prolong to some extent.

The Houthi armed group warns other countries not to intervene in the conflict

According to a statement released by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry on September 22, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey held talks on the 21st during the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The four parties strongly condemned the attacks against Saudi Arabia, including recent attacks launched by the Houthi armed group, and reiterated their firm support for Saudi sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on August 7. The agreement stipulates that any armed attack against any of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three collectively.

On the evening of the 21st, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi armed group, stated in a televised speech that as the conflict with the Houthi armed group escalates, Saudi Arabia is seeking military support from Turkey and Pakistan. He urged both countries not to "get involved" in this conflict for the sake of political or economic interests with Saudi Arabia.

When discussing the possibility of easing the situation, Abdul-Malik stated that the Houthis have not set "impossible conditions" and reiterated their demand for Saudi Arabia to stop military operations and the "blockade" against the group.

Just a day earlier, a senior member of the Houthi armed group, Mohammed Bukhaiti, also stated that the Houthis have made it clear that they "will not attack U.S. and other national targets in the Strait, with Saudi Arabia being the only exception." He also warned that if any country "participates in the aggression against Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia," the Houthis are "prepared to respond to international-level conflicts."

Reporter丨Zhang Yuchen, Tao Ye, Zhang Yun