Yemen’s Houthi militias are attacking commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, and say the attacks will continue until Israel ends its “crimes in Gaza.”

Who’s backing the Houthi rebels?

Why is the U.S. sinking Houthi ships and sailing naval destroyers in the region?

What could the attacks mean for fears of a broader regional conflict?

Iona Craig is an investigative journalist who’s been covering Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula for over a decade.