This week, when President Trump announced a halt to transport suspensions in the Red Sea, a terrorist group promptly pointed out that the ceasefire didn’t extend to their main adversary, Israel.
According to reports, the Islamic group, bolstered mainly by Iran, has gathered around 20,000 fighters and has obtained weaponry and operational tactics, transitioning from smaller regional factions to striking global targets.
Since November 2023, they have executed over 100 attacks on military and commercial vessels off Yemen’s coast, creating notable disruptions in international trade and revealing their growing power.
Recently, after a series of missile and drone strikes, the Houthis targeted Israel’s main civilian airport near Tel Aviv, leading to Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in retaliation. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported casualties from this incident.
Since 2024, UK and US military forces have been conducting airstrikes against the Houthis, intensifying operations as of March 15 this year, achieving significant impacts on over 1,000 targets, including drone production sites and supply chains. The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier was among the vessels targeted by the Houthis.
Rising tensions between Israel and the Houthis have escalated since Hamas’s assaults on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis. Though the Houthis claim to focus on vessels tied to Israel and its allies, many targets don’t operate with any association to the country.
Known as “Ansar Allah” (God’s supporters), the Houthis have their roots in the Zaidi Shiite tradition and emerged in the 1990s, gaining global attention with their conquest of Sana in 2014.
They maintain control over a significant area in northern Yemen, while a “very weak Yemeni government,” backed by regional Sunni allies such as Saudi Arabia, remains in the south, according to military analysts.
Yemen’s population is predominantly Sunni Muslims, with various Shia sects heavily influenced by Iran, a regional power.
John Spencer, from the Modern Warfare Institute, compared the Houthis’ control to Hezbollah’s grip on parts of Lebanon, labeling them as “terrorist nations within the state.”
Zaidi Shia beliefs prioritize religious learning for leadership over divine appointment. The Houthis espouse extreme anti-American and anti-Israel sentiments, with aspirations to revive the caliphate.
They align themselves with Iran’s axis of resistance, which includes Hezbollah and Hamas, bolstered by their geographic advantage near key ports and supply routes, as well as their access to Iranian weaponry.
“They exceed expectations in the terrorist alliance,” noted Ben Ben Tareble from the Democracy Foundation, emphasizing the Houthis’ prominence as the sole representatives of Iran equipped with anti-ship missiles.
Control over the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has enabled Houthis to launch military campaigns against Saudi Arabia, stemming from their accusations of Saudi support for the Yemeni government amid the ongoing civil war.
UN data indicates the prolonged conflict has resulted in nearly 400,000 deaths and displaced about 4.5 million people, leaving approximately 17 million facing severe hunger as per the World Food Program’s assessments.
In 2022, an unbroken ceasefire facilitated by Oman curtailed much of the fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, yet attacks on Red Sea shipping continued.
As of March, the US State Department classified the Houthis as a terrorist organization following earlier indecisions on their designation during the Biden era.
Ben Tareble suggested that the Houthis capitalize on frustrations within the Islamic world, using the Gaza conflict to position themselves against Israel, though Spencer surmised their focus isn’t purely altruistic.
Reports have surfaced regarding the recruitment of child soldiers by the Houthis, with claims of child involvement in combat since 2009, intensifying after the October 7 conflict.
Leadership of the group currently resides with Abdul Malik Al Houthi, who took control after his brother was killed by security forces in 2004.
In an interesting twist, following President Trump’s declaration targeting the Houthis, their leaders swiftly portrayed ongoing hostilities against Israel in a broadcast on Al Jazeera.
“This tactic reflects Iran’s strategy to create a rift between the US and Israel,” observed Ben Tareble, highlighting a continuous maneuver to separate American interests from those of its allies in the Gulf region.
