Why are the US and UK attacking the Houthis in Yemen?

In this special edition of The Global Story, Katya Adler talks to the BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner about the strikes on Houthis and the strategy behind them. Who are the Houthis and how are they reacting?

We hear how US and UK naval forces in the Red Sea have launched air strikes against Houthi targets across Yemen. They’re in response to repeated attacks by the Iran-backed group on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis in Yemen have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, disrupting the global shipping trade and causing concerns about increased oil prices.

The Houthis say the strikes on their positions in Yemen will not go without "punishment or retaliation". So what happens next? How is all of this directly linked to events in Gaza and how does it represent an escalation of the crisis that is gripping the region?

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Today’s episode of The Global Story was made by Alice Aylett-Roberts, Neal Razzell, Tom Kavanagh and Emilia Jansson. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.