Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, raising fears of renewed conflict in the vital shipping corridor

More than 17 million people in conflict-torn Yemen are going hungry, including over a million children under the age of 5 who are suffering from ''life-threatening acute malnutrition,'' the United Nations humanitarian chief said Wednesday.

The U.S. military spent hundreds of millions of dollars earlier this year in a six-week barrage intended to stop the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen from targeting ships in the Red Sea.

Ansarullah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi stressed that honoring the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) is first and foremost an act of solidarity with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and a reaffirmation of the enduring legacy of divine guidance and moral leadership for the Muslim nation.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government condemned on Thursday the killing of Sheikh Saleh Hantous, a 70-year-old Quran teacher, by Houthi forces in the western province of Raymah.

Local peace initiatives in Yemen have made notable strides in recent years, eclipsing the stalled efforts of United Nations mediators since the collapse of the Kuwait-hosted peace talks in mid-2016, which were derailed by the Iran-aligned Houthis.