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The majority of global shipping benefits people Iran don't like. Disrupting this therefore is to their benefit. It adds extra headache for 'the west'.
by Balero 3y ago
The majority of global shipping benefits people Iran don't like. Disrupting this therefore is to their benefit. It adds extra headache for 'the west'.
- ethbr1 3y agoBut Iran also likes the Houthis being a credible threat to Saudi Arabia and the UAE even more. Continuing to poke international commercial shipping will obviously trigger a response. No one powerful, even China, wants non-military ships being attacked. So they're risking substantial damage to Houthi power for... what? Tying up naval capacity? Eh. Temporarily. And with minimal effect on Israel/Palestine.* Boosting the price of oil? Maybe. But doesn't seem to be doing much yet. At Russia's behest? Maybe. General chaos elsewhere and tying up ISR assets benefits Russia. * Would become much more relevant if Hezbollah enters the war.
- Balero 3y agoYou make some good points. But the Houthis have been being bombed by Saudi Arabia for years and haven't been crippled by it. Getting them to poke and prod some shipping could be and easy way to cause an outsized impact. It could also be an internal thing for the Houthis that we (certainly I) don't know about. Being able to say "We're standing up to Israel and the US" could be big for their credibility in Yemen. That is pure speculation however.