The military forces of the United States and Great Britain carried out strikes in Yemen on targets controlled by the Houthis the night before Friday from the air, warships and submarines.
The Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain were also involved in the operation by providing logistical, intelligence and other assistance.
A total of ten countries have signed a statement advocating strikes against the Houthi rebels.
In a statement, the countries say they will resolutely defend lives and protect the Red Sea waterways, which are critical for trade.
The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, have carried out numerous drone and missile strikes against cargo ships in the Red Sea in recent months.
The US and Iran were long ago friends with Iran because of oil – now they are blood enemies. On behalf of Yemen, Iran, which supports the Houthis, was outraged by the attacks
Relations cooled more than 40 years ago
The warm relations between the United States and Iran cooled in the late 1970s with the Islamic revolution, says the director of the Finnish Middle East Institute Susanne Dahlgren.
The United States had supported the authoritarian regime of the Shah, which had to give way in the revolution.
– At that time, Iran took an anti-US line, Dahlgren said.
More problems in relations between the two countries soon followed when Iranian students in Tehran took over the US Embassy in Iran in 1979 and took hostages.
According to Dahlgren, it was humiliating for the United States.
According to him, the consequence of the events was that the United States made Iran almost its number one enemy in the entire world. In addition, a permanent conflict began, with which the United States began to isolate Iran internationally.
In recent years, other countries and parties have become involved in the relations between the countries.
They include, for example, the Lebanese Hezbollah organization and party, which is a key ally of Iran and operates internationally in the Middle East, as well as Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Houthis in Yemen.
– US policy in the Middle East is one that causes anger among citizens. That anger is used by the Iranian Federation in its politics. Iran aims to be the front of anti-American politics, Dahlgren explains.
How is Yemen involved?
– The US’s closest ally in the region is Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Iran, on the other hand, have been enemies with each other. Iran supports the Houthis, an armed group that controls a large part of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, entered the civil war in the so-called at the invitation of the legitimate government.
And how does Israel affect the relations between Iran and the United States?
– A lot, because the war in Gaza has caused widespread anger in the Middle East. It appears to the average Middle Eastern person that Israel is trying to destroy the Palestinians. Again, this is like a gift to the forces led by Iran.
Do religions matter in the situation?
– Religions do not fight each other. Hamas is an Islamist Sunni organization. Iran represents the main branch of Shiism, and the Houthis represent a smaller local branch. Religions are used for recruitment and gaining popularity, but the issue is actually politics, specifically power politics.
Could relations deteriorate to the point where the US and Iran go to war with each other?
– It is unlikely. Both Iran and the West have tried to prevent the escalation of the situation that started with the Gaza war. We must remember that Iran is a potential nuclear power, striking there involves great risks, Dahlgren estimates.
What does all this mean for Finns?
– The situation in the Red Sea affects Finland in the form of an increase in prices if ships cannot take the shortest route. This will be very expensive for international trade.
Does Finland’s NATO membership have any effect?
– It remains to be seen how Finland will participate in NATO’s international operations in the future. Finland has experience in Afghanistan, which was by no means a successful operation.
– European terrorism is always connected to conflicts in the Middle East. It is possible that there will be terrorist attacks in Finland in the future as a response to the fact that Finland is involved in some unpopular operation.