Why US pressure on Israel would have more impactIn this regard, US claims it is powerless to rein in Israel seem far from convincing when one examines the power dynamics between the two countries.As a middle power in the wider US-centric liberal international order, Israel certainly exercises more autonomy and agency than a simple client state.At the same time, however, history has shown us assertive US presidents are more than capable of reining in the excesses of Tel Aviv in short order.What is lacking at this moment is not influence, but willpower, especially on the part of the current president, Joe Biden. Biden has a demonstrated history of exceptional support for Israel beyond that of his own party. This includes in his former role as vice president under Barack Obama.For their part, the Houthis are battle-hardened by nearly a decade of war with the Saudis. They have made something of an art of withstanding precision strikes using US-made munitions and guided by US-supplied intelligence.As such, it is unlikely the current US strikes will halt the Houthis’ attacks on shipping vessels. The Houthis are also highly likely to continue to evolve their own tactics to account for US weapon superiority. Given this, they have significant incentive to escalate their attacks in defiance of US actions.The Gaza war has already claimed the lives of more than 25,000 Palestinians – primarily civilians. The bombing has been more destructive in its first 100 days than the razing of the Syrian city of Aleppo by the Assad regime from 2012–16, according to experts in mapping wartime damage.As the conflict continues unabated and outrage continues to grow, it is likely the Houthis or other militant actors or even states will ramp up efforts to intervene, especially through unconventional methods.In such a context, the US and UK strikes against the Houthis increasingly risk producing unintended consequences and spiralling out of control towards an even more complex and broader regional crisis.Ben Rich, Senior Lecturer in History and International Relations, Curtin UniversityThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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