The U.S. has re-designated the Houthi militant group as a terrorist organization after months of attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Last week, the U.S. and the UK in response launched air strikes on Houthi military installations, expecting the move to de-escalate the situation, but Houthis have said they won’t stop until the attacks on Palestinians in Gaza have ceased. What more do we know about the Houthi group? Could the Western retaliation only serve to escalate the conflict? And what role can the UN and other regional actors play in restoring peace in the region?

Guests are Prof. Glenn Diesen from the University of South-Eastern Norway; Foad Izadi, associate professor of American Studies at the University of Tehran; Wang Jin, associate professor at Northwest University of China; and Prof. Robert Kelly from the Department of Political Science at Pusan National University.