By Al-Fassel | 2023-12-30

The Iran-backed Houthis' ongoing attacks on ships in the Red Sea have jeopardized an already fragile peace process to end the nine-year war in Yemen.

For weeks the Houthis have escalated attacks on tankers, cargo ships and other vessels -- regardless of nationality -- in the Red Sea, imperiling a transit route that carries up to 12% of global trade.

Such attacks dim the prospect of peace in Yemen, while many fear they may drag the country into a new war.

For now, the United States is trying to keep the peace process separate from the Red Sea attacks, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Wednesday.

"We have long supported efforts to wind down the conflict in Yemen and welcome progress towards a durable ceasefire under United Nations (UN) auspices," a US official said.

"At the same time, we are extremely concerned by the reckless and dangerous attacks by the Houthis on civilian vessels in vital international waterways around Yemen."

New roadmap for peace

Yemen has been gripped by war since 2014, when a coup by the Iran-backed Houthis saw them seize Sanaa and large parts of Yemeni territory. This triggered a Saudi-led military intervention the following year to support Yemen's internationally-recognized government.

Direct talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis that started in April 2023 added to hopes that a permanent ceasefire would be reached to end a conflict that has left hundreds of thousands dead through direct and indirect causes such as famine.

The Oman-mediated talks run parallel to UN peace efforts.

A UN-brokered ceasefire in April 2022 brought a sharp reduction in hostilities. The truce expired in October last year, though fighting has largely remained on hold.

Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, on Monday welcomed new commitments by Yemen's warring parties to take steps towards a ceasefire and engage in the UN-led peace process, AFP reported.

The commitments announced Saturday by the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, marked the latest effort to end the war.

Few details have been made public, but once signed, the agreement would call for Saudi troops to leave Yemen within six months, according to officials briefed on the roadmap, WSJ reported.

Saudi Arabia said in a statement that it welcomed the UN announcement of a "roadmap to support the path of peace."

Riyadh's foreign ministry encouraged Yemen's warring parties "to sit at the dialogue table, to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution under the auspices of the" UN.

Oman also welcomed the development, saying it hopes a deal "will be signed as soon as possible."

The United Arab Emirates, a member of the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis, commended efforts to streamline a deal on a road map, while Qatar urged the warring parties to accelerate an agreement.

'Hindering progress'

Yemen's warring parties, however, remain at odds over a series of issues, including the latest string of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

The Houthi "military actions hinder progress towards a peaceful resolution," said Mohammed Albasha, a senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group.

"The Houthis have transitioned... to becoming aggressors targeting civilian assets," he said.

In a statement on Monday, the Yemeni government warned of the risks and domestic ramifications from Houthi drone and missile attacks.

They "will lead to an increase in food prices in a country suffering from a humanitarian crisis," Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said on X.

He noted the rise in insurance premiums on ships transiting the vital waterway.

In a November 22 meeting on Yemen aid, Reena Ghelani, an official with the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, "Any escalation of fighting will have devastating consequences for the people of Yemen and will send us back to square one."

"People in Yemen need a return to normalcy so they can rebuild their fractured lives. The time to deliver that is now," she added.

Leila Salem, a 28-year-old university student in Sanaa, told Al-Jazeera that Yemenis are worried that they would feel the consequences of the Houthis' attacks.

"Generally, the Houthi attacks on shipping and their threat to international navigation have negative consequences for them," said an analysis published on Wednesday by the Yemen-based Abaad Center for Strategic Studies.

"Their commitment to peace becomes questionable and confidence in them as a good partner for peace is shaken, especially as the attacks show them to be a radical entity that does not believe in coexistence and hence is a destabilizing factor in the region," the analysis noted.