Yemen's Houthi rebels recently announced a draconian demand: all employees from the United States, the United Kingdom, and United Nations staff must leave Yemen within the next month. At the same time, Japan is warned not to stand in opposition to the people of Gaza, otherwise it will be "punished by God" again! After Japan, there may be another country that will also be on the list of strikes, who is it?
The Houthis' strong statement immediately caused an uproar in the international community, especially for the United Kingdom, the United States and the United Nations, which is undoubtedly a huge challenge. In the face of the Houthi demands, do they choose to remain in Yemen, or do they choose to evacuate obediently?
If they choose to withdraw, it will undoubtedly weaken the influence of Britain and the United States in Yemen, and may also leave the world with an image of weakness and fear. But if they choose to stay, then Britain and the United States will face a direct threat from the Houthis, which could cause losses to their personnel and assets.
You know, the Houthis have stressed that they will do what they say they will do, not just talk about it. Needless to say, the Houthis are very clear about their reckless nature.
And to this day, neither the UK nor the United States has responded to the Houthis' demand for a "deadline to leave". It is conceivable that this matter is also a difficult choice for Britain and the United States.
At the same time, Houthi Politburo official and senior leader Al Buhati warned Japan that a country like Japan that does not support the people of Gaza will be punished by God, suggesting that the Houthis may again attack Japanese ships or Japanese.
On November 19, 2023, the cargo ship "Galaxy Leader" of NYK was seized by the Houthis as a result because the ownership of the ship was linked to a wealthy Israeli businessman, and the Houthis have been open to tourists as a tourist attraction.
It is clear that Al Buhati's statement means that more Japanese ships and Japanese personnel will be in danger. Surprisingly, however, in the face of the relentless harsh rhetoric of senior Houthi officials, senior Japanese officials are smiling and showing goodwill, which can not help but confuse Japan's approach.
First, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that we support Britain and the United States in launching a military attack on the Houthis, but we will not send military forces to join them; then Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara claimed that Japan has no intention of joining the British and American military operations to strike at the Houthis. At the same time, the Kishida government also rejected the Japanese people's call to send the Maritime Self-Defense Force to escort Japanese merchant ships.
In fact, all that senior Japanese officials and the Kishida government have done is to send three words to the Houthis with silent actions: Don't hit me!
Interestingly, India may be the next to be on the Houthi strike list. After the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Red Sea crisis, Indian Prime Minister Modi openly expressed his support for Israel, and also sent warships to the Red Sea to "escort" the ship, and dozens of Hindus asked to join the Israel Defense Forces. It is estimated that if India continues to do so in this way, it will soon usher in a thunderous counterattack by the Houthis!