Who be di Houthi rebels wey America and UK fire strikes and why dem dey attack ships for Red Sea?

Drone and rocket attacks on cargo ships for Red Sea make US and UK-lead forces to launch air and sea strikes to targeted 16 Houthi positions including command centres, munitions depots and air defence systems.

Western forces take action afta di Houthis - one Iran-backed rebel group wey dey control large part of Yemen, attack vessels.

US President Joe Biden say US and UK military successfully launch strikes early on Friday against Houthi targets wit support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and di Netherlands.

More dan 12 sites, including for di capital, Sanaa, and Hudaydah, di Houthi Red Sea port stronghold, dem hit am too. Di Houthi targets for Yemen include logistical hubs, air defence systems and arms depots.

Why di Houthis dey attack ships for Red Sea?

Di attacks begin afta Israel-Hamas war start on 7 October.

Di Houthis bin declare dia support for Hamas and say dem go target any ship wey dey travel to Israel. E no dey clear if dem attack all of di ships wey actually dey go dia.

For November, dem seize wetin dem claim say be Israeli cargo ship.

Since den, dem don attack several commercial vessels wit drones and ballistic missiles.

Houthi attacks for Red Sea don increase by 500% between November and December. Dia threat don serious well-well sotay major shipping companies don stop to pass di region and insurance costs don rise 10-fold since early December.

Major shipping firms including Mediterranean Shipping Company, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and oil company BP don already tok say all of dem go divert vessels away from di Red Sea.

Di fear na say fuel prices go rise and supply chains go dey damaged. Almost 15% of global seaborne trade dey pass through di Red Sea, wey dey linked to di Mediterranean through Suez canal and na di shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

Washington dey accuse Iran say "dem get hand" for di planning operations against commercial vessels for Red Sea.

Who be di Houthi rebels?

Di Houthis na armed group from one sub-sect of Yemen Shia Muslim minority, di Zaidis. Dem take dia name from di founder of di movement, Hussein al Houthi.

Before dem know dem as di Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), di group na di 1990’s dem form dem to fight wetin dem see saw as di corruption of di den president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

President Saleh, bin get backing from Saudi Arabia military, e bin try to eliminate di Houthi rebels for 2003, but di Houthis hold dia ground.

Na since 2014 di Houthi rebels dey fight civil war against Yemen goment. Di goment get backing against di Houthis by coalition of Arab kontries wey Saudi Arabia and di UAE dey lead.

For di start of 2022, di war don cause an estimated 377,000 deaths and displace four million pipo, according to UN.

Di Houthis declare themselves to be part of di Iranian-led "axis of resistance" against Israel, di US and di wider West - along with Hamas and Hezbollah.

Who dey support di Houthi rebels?

Di Houthi rebels dey model themselves like di Shia armed group for Lebanon, Hezbollah.

Hezbollah dey provide dem with extensive military expertise and training since 2014, according to dis US research institute, di Combating Terrorism Center.

Di Houthis also consider Iran as dia ally, because Saudi Arabia na dia common enemy.

Many dey suspect say Iran dey supply di Houthi rebels wit weapons, and di US say Iranian intelligence dey critical to enable dem to target ships.

"We know say Iran bin dey involved for planning di operations against commercial vessels for Red Sea," White House national security tok-tok pesin Adrienne Watson tok.

"Dis dey consistent wit Iran long-term material support and encouragement of di Houthis' destabilizing actions for di region."

Iran don deny say dem dey involved for di attack by di Houthis for di Red Sea.

US and Saudi Arabia say na Iran supply di ballistic missiles wey di Houthis fire for Saudi capital, Riyadh, for 2017, but dem shoot am down.

Saudi Arabia also blame Iran for supplying di cruise missiles and drones wey di Houthis use to attack Saudi oil installations for 2019.

Di Houthis don fire ten of thousands of short-range missiles into Saudi Arabia, and also attack targets for UAE. Dem don also fire ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel since di war for Gaza start.

To supply dis weapons go break UN arms embargo. Iran don deny say dem do dat kain tin.

How much of Yemen wey di Houthis control?

Di official goment of Yemen na di Presidential Leadership Council, wey President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi transfer im powers to for April 2022.

However, di goment dey based for Saudi capital, Riyadh, afta Hadi run go dia for 2015.

Most of di Yemeni population dey live for areas under Houthi control. As well as Sanaa and di north of Yemen, na di Houthi rebels dey control di Red Sea coastline.

Di group dey collect tax and also dey print money.

Di UN Security Council say by 2010, di Houthis bin get between 100,000 and 120,000 followers, wey dey made up of armed troops and unarmed supporters.