DOHA, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing escalations in the Gaza Strip and Yemen are interconnected, with each exacerbating the other and both fueling dangerous regional developments, said Steven Wright, an associate professor of international relations at Qatar's Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Wednesday, Wright highlighted how the unresolved Gaza conflict has allowed Yemen's Houthi group to present itself as a defender of Palestinian rights.

"This narrative enables the Houthis to frame their attacks on (Red Sea) shipping as legitimate resistance rather than mere provocation," he explained, saying the Houthi behaviors serve multiple ends in terms of the group's strategic objectives and are "consistent with its longstanding anti-American and anti-Israeli doctrine."

In Wright's view, "backing Palestinians" has served as a "propaganda tool" that provides the Houthis with moral legitimacy, gained them domestic support despite years of civil war, and raised their standing in the region.

Noting the recent U.S. airstrikes on Houthi positions, Wright said there is a significant escalation from the previous U.S. military campaign initiated under former President Joe Biden in January 2024.

He said earlier U.S.-British operations were "more targeted," focusing on Houthi "tactical military assets like radars and missile sites," while the latest U.S. strikes expanded targets to include infrastructure such as power stations, providing a clear example of Trump's "peace through containment" philosophy which uses overwhelming force to deter adversaries and intimidate opponents into compliance.

He emphasized that the Houthis have aligned their maritime operations, which were conducted as a gesture of support for Palestinians, with developments in Gaza, strengthening their strategic narrative against what they perceive as Western-backed regional aggression.

Wright pointed out that the military strikes on the Houthis have exposed the limitations of the U.S. approach, as previous strikes failed to weaken Houthi capabilities.

He also warned that the Houthis could further retaliate by targeting the region, posing risks to regional states, including Gulf countries.

Addressing the relationship between the Houthi group and its key regional supporter, Iran, Wright cautioned against oversimplifying or exaggerating their ties. "While Iran is widely believed to provide the Houthi group with material support, the group itself maintains a high degree of strategic independence," he said, citing the Houthis' resolve to launch Red Sea operations despite Tehran's initial caution as clear evidence of their autonomy.

Looking ahead, the political analyst stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive political solution to the Gaza conflict, which is the root reason for and core of all interlinked crises. "The longer it takes to establish a viable path for resolving the conflict, implementing effective governance, and facilitating post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza, the greater the risk of wider regional escalation could become," he said.

"What we are witnessing in Yemen is inextricably linked to Israel's actions and the broader regional response to the Gaza conflict," Wright concluded, stressing the importance of bringing an end to the Gaza crisis "with a credible post-conflict pathway for the future."

The tension between the Houthis and the U.S. military intensified as the United States renewed airstrikes on Yemen on Saturday after the Houthi group threatened to resume attacks on Israeli targets, in response to Israel's continued blockade of aid to Gaza and tightened siege on the war-torn enclave. The U.S. airstrikes have targeted Yemen's capital and several other provinces under Houthi control, killing dozens of people.

This tension involving multiple parties escalated further as Israel resumed Tuesday its heavy onslaught on Gaza, reportedly killing over 590 people and shattering a two-month ceasefire. Enditem

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