Since the beginning of the military escalation in the Middle East, the name of the Yemeni rebel group "Ansar Allah" ("Champions of Allah"), whose representatives are widely known as the Houthis, has regularly been mentioned in world news

After the start of the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, representatives of Ansar Allah fired ballistic missiles into Israeli territory.

At the same time, Uzi Rubin, a researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Security and Strategy, a well-known expert in the field of air defense, noted that these are complex high-altitude targets that have to be intercepted outside the atmosphere.

In turn, the Houthis successfully shot down an American MQ9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle that invaded Yemeni airspace.

According to the Yemeni military, the drone carried out “hostile, surveillance and espionage activities” as part of military support for Israel, and was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. And the US military command in the Pentagon officially acknowledged the loss of its reconnaissance and attack drone.

The other day, the Houthis declared themselves once again. They captured the large cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea, landing on it using a helicopter.

According to rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam, the leaders of Ansar Allah are going to interfere with Israeli maritime cargo transportation and have the necessary military-technical resources for this, without fear of opposition from the American fleet.

All this destroys the usual stereotypes that portray Yemenis as barefoot savages armed with curved blades and flintlock rifles.

Such views are widespread on the post-Soviet Internet, where it is still customary to laugh at the supposed backwardness of Asians and Africans. Despite the fact that the countries of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East have recently made a rapid breakthrough in military-technological development.

Moreover, they are gradually catching up with their former colonial metropolises, laying claim to future dominance at least in their own regions.

The history of the Ansar Allah movement is characteristic and indicative in this sense.

Its participants are Zaydis - representatives of one of the movements in the Shiite branch of Islam, living in the northwestern part of Yemen.

They have long been distinguished by independence and belligerence. The British Empire, which conquered the Yemeni coast in the nineteenth century, never conquered the Zaydi tribes, who successfully fought off invaders in the inaccessible mountains under the leadership of their imams.

In 1918, the Zaydis created the Mutawakkili Kingdom of Yemen, which became the Yemen Arab Republic after the revolution. While in the south, on the territory of former British protectorates, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen was eventually formed. Moreover, both parts of Yemen, to one degree or another, adhered to a pan-Arab and pro-Soviet orientation.

In 1990 they formally united into a single state. However, in fact, from the very beginning it was in a civil war mode, where Shiites fought with Sunnis, and various tribal alliances challenged each other for primacy in government structures.

The situation was aggravated by privatization and creeping market reforms that took place in Yemen after the collapse of the USSR. They ruined many Yemenis. And in the nineties, this country was rightfully considered one of the poorest in the world.

In 2004, the Zaydis rebelled against the central government, claiming that it was infested with corrupt officials who had sold out to the United States. The revolution was led by the popular preacher Hussein Badruddin from the influential al-Houthi family. And after the death of this imam, the movement was led by his brother, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi.

The Shia rebels began to be called Houthis. Then, twenty years ago, it seemed that they were doomed to defeat. America was at the peak of global power - its troops had just occupied Iraq and established control over the Middle East.

And the Zaydi militia really did not have anything at that time except outdated small arms, the famous Yemeni daggers-jambiya and an indestructible fighting spirit.

However, Iran intervened in the situation, providing its co-religionists with military and political support. In addition, Zaydi leaders adopted the experience of the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah - they implemented various social programs to gain wide popularity and carried out propaganda work among their Sunni compatriots.

Over time, Houthi forces grew, and in 2015 they occupied Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, demanding that it be transformed into a federal state with equal rights for all communities.This victory became a global sensation and an unpleasant slap in the face for the United States. Because Washington understood: the Houthis’ successes seriously strengthen Iran, allowing it to control strategically important communications in the Red Sea.

Sunni Arab countries have organized a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to stop the Shiite offensive. Foreign troops entered Yemen, hoping for a quick victory. But unexpectedly for everyone, they got stuck in bloody battles with the Houthis.

The Saudi army had the latest American weapons, including warships, fighter jets, tanks and air defenses. However, the Houthis successfully countered this force with guerrilla tactics, making extensive use of weapons from Iran.

They destroyed several Abrams tanks, shot down Apache helicopters, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets, and sank five combat boats.

In addition, Shiite militias launched counterattacks into Saudi territory, using long-range missiles and drones, targeting oil refineries. And even the American Patriot complexes could not cope with this.

It was not possible to defeat the Houthis. After the war subsided amid a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which was largely facilitated by Chinese mediation, the Zaydis became the most influential force in Yemen and strengthened themselves on the Red Sea coast.

In challenging the US, they are not bluffing, because the Houthi rebels have proven their ability to fight US military equipment on land, sea and air.

This situation in itself indicates how the balance of world power has changed today. The US and NATO countries no longer have an overwhelming advantage over their opponents.

And this is clearly seen in the Gulf countries, which are gradually drifting away from the global hegemon, which has failed to cope with the Shiite guerrillas.

bbabo.Net