Houthis Explained, While originally focused on Zaidi Shia issues,

Houthis Explained, While originally focused on Zaidi Shia issues, the Houthis have broadened their base and ideology, becoming a major political and military force in Yemen's ongoing conflict. . So, who are the Houthis? #Yemen #Saudiarabia Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has become one of the Middle East’s most potent nonstate actors since Israel’s war against Hamas reignited in 2023. The Houthis have now vowed retaliation. The Houthi movement’s rapid ascent has created opportunities for al-Qaeda to expand and intensified the Saudi-Iranian rivalry, adding a sectarian dimension to Yemen’s turbulence, says expert The Houthis are not mere Iranian proxies in the war. Explore their history, revolutionary tactics, and impact on Yemen’s devastating civil war. The Houthis, who have been in a strong position in the civil war in Yemen since 2021, have sought to use the window of opportunity opened by the war in Gaza to expand their regional footprint. Houthi-controlled Yemen Territory controlled by the Houthis, as of March 2025 Since their takeover in September 2014, the Houthis, a Zaydi Shia revivalist political and military organization, have maintained de facto governance over significant portions of northern and western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. Daniel Pipes, historian and president of the Middle East Forum, joins Kevin Williamson to explain the e This Visual Explainer traces how the Houthis’ campaign evolved from strikes on Israel to a maritime offensive disrupting global shipping in the Red Sea. Driven by an explicitly antisemitic and anti-American ethos, the Houthis The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have gone from a local Yemeni insurgency group to a major player in Middle Eastern geopolitics. The Houthis have gone through something of a transformation in their reputation since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023. What are the Houthis' links with Iran? The Houthis are part of what has been called the "Axis of Resistance" — an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, backed by Iran. The US injured and killed more than 100 people in strikes in The Houthis then announced on March 12 a resumption of attacks with immediate effect. Jan 12, 2024 · The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God), are an armed group that control most parts of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, and some of the western and northern areas close to Houthis The Houthis, [d] officially known as Ansar Allah, [e] is a Zaydi [a] revivalist and Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. They are now the only pole of the ‘axis’ standing, and have remained defiant in the face of the fresh Israeli air strikes. Navy ships with missiles. The strikes have resulted in at least 24 deaths. [101] Sep 17, 2025 · Leadership within the Houthis is rooted in the al-Houthi clan and supported by tribal alliances and religious scholars. The Houthis, also known as the Houthi movement and officially the Ansar Allah, is a Zaydi Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. and its allies conducted airstrikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Since then, the small reb The Iran-backed rebel group has attacked multiple ships in the Red Sea throughout December. Iran is widely accused of backing the Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite movement that has been fighting Yemen’s Sunni-majority government since 2004. The roots of the Houthis can be traced to a Zaydi group called the Faithful Youth (al-Shabab al-Mu’min) that came to prominence in the aftermath of Yemen’s unification. ” The Houthis' attacks are about more than what is happening in Gaza: They are now using them to assert their power. July saw a massive escalation: The Houthis struck Tel Aviv with a drone The Houthis are an Iran-backed, Shiite Islamist movement that seized control of Yemen’s capital in 2014 and instigated civil war. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are stepping up their strikes on ships in the Red Sea, which they say are revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza. After U. To understand the context and the reasons behind the Houthi insurgency, it is essential to delve into their history, ideology, and the regional influences that The US launched major attacks on Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels over Red Sea shipping strikes. and the UK conducted air strikes against the Houthis a month later. Who are the Houthis? And what’s the crisis roiling the Red Sea region? Al-Alimi explained that the peace equation in Yemen must be based on dismantling ideological weaponry, ending the logic of dynasticism, and consolidating the principle of equal citizenship, alongside building a state capable of monopolizing the use of force and protecting all its citizens without discrimination. The Houthis began in the 1990’s as a moderate theological movement of the Zaydis, a Shia minority group. The Biden administration started mobilizing an international coalition against the Houthis in December 2023. From their perch on the eastern side of the Red Sea, the Yemen-based Houthi rebels pose what could be one of the biggest threats to global shipping and, by extension, the world economy. What role do they play in Yemen's deadly civil war? The Houthis are part of what has been called the "Axis of Resistance" - an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, backed by Iran. This also marks the first major US military action since President Donald Trump assumed office in Yemen's Houthis have joined the Israel-Hamas war raging more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, declaring on Oct. They’re fueled by a mix of anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment, Jew-hatred, and Islamic fundamentalism and, sur In September 2014, the Houthis stormed Yemen’s capital Sanaa, forcing the president to flee and prompting a Saudi-led intervention. Today, the Houthis seek a greater role in the Yemeni government and continue to advocate Zaidi minority interests. missile launch on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen was the culmination of weeks of warnings for the group to cease their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The U. Yemen is in the midst of an escalating conflict between two religious factions: the country’s Sunni Muslims and its Houthis. Their rise has been fueled by sectarian conflicts The Iranian-backed militia has launched attacks on Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea. The group’s ability to maintain The regional landscape has once again emerged as a key focal point, continuing the reshaping of the new Middle East from Gaza to Yemen, passing through Lebanon and Syria. The roots of the Houthi movement can be traced to “Believing Youth” (Muntada al-Shahabal-Mu’min), a Zaydi revivalist group founded by Hussein al-Houthi and his father, Badr al-Din al-Houthi In September 2014, the Houthis stormed Yemen’s capital Sanaa, forcing the president to flee and prompting a Saudi-led intervention. and allied interests. The Houthis control large swaths of Yemen's territory. What do the Houthis want? Uncover the political, military, and humanitarian goals behind their actions and the ongoing conflict in Yemen. What are the Houthis’ links with Iran? The Houthis are part of what has been called the “Axis of Resistance” — an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, backed by Iran. One of these actors is the Houthis, a Shia insurgent movement that has played a central role in Yemen's devastating civil war. Trump warned Iran to stop aiding the Houthis or face consequences. Fighting corruption was one of their main aims. S. " This image taken from video provided by the US A new crisis is brewing near one of the world’s most crucial shipping lanes as Yemen’s Houthis and the United States square off. In recent Explained: Who are Houthis of Yemen and why are they attacking ships in Red Sea? Houthis attacks in Red Sea: The Houthis are an armed group originating from Yemen’s northwestern Saada province. The Houthi movement began in the 1990s as a reaction to rising Saudi financial and religious influence. The Houthis say their assaults are aimed at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but their targets increasingly have little – or no – connection to Israel. airstrikes continue. The Houthi movement began as an effort to maintain tribal autonomy in northern Yemen and protest Western influence in the Middle East. The Houthi movement is an Islamic fundamentalist movement in northern Yemen and one of the main actors in the Yemeni Civil War (2014– ). The 2 Yemen's Houthi rebels, who were threatened with an air and naval blockade by Israel on Tuesday, are one of Iran's few allies still standing since the Gaza war spilled across the Middle East. The Iran-aligned Houthis of Yemen are playing an escalating role in the conflict in the Middle East, attacking shipping in the Red Sea and firing drones and missiles at Israel in a campaign they The Houthis aren’t your ordinary rebels. 31 they had fired drones and missiles at The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, explained. The Houthis retaliated, targeting US ships and labelling the US strikes as "war crimes. President Donald Trump launched the largest American military operation in the Middle East since his return to the White House—targeting the Houthis—the ceasefire in Gaza, which had been in place since January Cohn explained that, amid the conflict in Israel and Gaza, the Houthis began firing at shipping in the Red Sea, “which is a passage, a choke point between European and Asian shipping. A cargo ship en route to India from Turkey was hijacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on Sunday. Saudi Arabia’s perception that the Houthis are an Iranian proxy capable of launching cross-border attacks near its southern border has driven the Saudi kingdom’s offensive. The United States launched large-scale military strikes against the Houthis of Yemen on Saturday (March 16), killing 31 people in the Middle Eastern nation. The Houthis then announced on March 12 a resumption of attacks with immediate effect. The conflict in the Middle East is complex and filled with key actors that shape the region's geopolitics. The Houthis seized control of the northern province of Saada before taking the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, after forming an unlikely alliance with Saleh and security forces still loyal to him. Since then, the small rebel group has expanded their control The Houthis are a Zaydi Shiite movement that has fought Yemen’s Sunni government since 2004. It is predominantly made up of Zaydis, whose namesake leadership is drawn largely from the al-Houthi family. The Houthis’ relationship with Iran Iran is often accused of providing the Houthis with weapons, training, and funding. There have been numerous strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, but that hasn't deterred additional attacks. A rebel group from Yemen’s far north, the Houthis had Since 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has waged war on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthi movement - named for the surname and clan of their founder, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi - is principally made up of Zaidi Muslims, a sect of Shia Islam followed in northern Yemen. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have escalated tensions by targeting shipping routes to support Palestine. Over the next few years, the Houthis engaged in a series of brutal conflicts with the Yemeni government, known as the Saada Wars, which resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread displacement. The vessel, carrying approximately 25 crew members from diverse nationalities, was taken The Houthis are a powerful rebel group in Yemen with ties to Iran and a history of attacking U. US President Trump has started a significant military operation against Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis due to resumed Red Sea shipping attacks. Catch up quick: The U. By Ismaeel Naar Ephrat Livni and Gaya Gupta For more than a year, the Houthis, an Iranian-backed Who are Yemen’s Houthi rebels? The Houthi rebels are one of two main factions controlling territory amidst Yemen’s ongoing civil war. * The movement is known for its virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric, including the group’s ubiquitous slogan: “God is great The Houthis, a group within the Zaydi Muslim community in Yemen, complain about discrimination and persecution by the Yemeni government. Mar 25, 2025 · Who are the Houthis? The Houthis are an armed political and religious group which champions Yemen's Shia Muslim minority, the Zaidis. Who are the Houthis and how did they become so powerful?From their origins in Yemen to their leadership, global support, and major conflicts — here is the co The Houthis, a Shi'ite Islamist group in Yemen, were not on the radar of many Israelis before mid-October – when it joined Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in firing projectiles at Israel amid the war with Hamas in Gaza. Discover the rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels: from marginalized roots to a dominant political-military force. His brother, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, took over leadership and transformed the group into a ruthless terrorist force. K. Their support for the Palestinians is also aimed at garnering domestic and international support for the group’s position in Yemen. The Houthis' Al-Masira television also said on Saturday that the United States and Britain launched two airstrikes that targeted the port of Ras Issa, Yemen's main oil export terminal. The Houthis are accused of attempting to attack U. The Houthis are a powerful rebel group in Yemen with ties to Iran and a history of attacking U. Mar 16, 2025 · Explained: Who Are Yemen's Houthis And Why Is US Attacking Them? The Houthis have waded into the Gaza conflict with attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea as a show of support for the Mar 27, 2025 · The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), are a Yemeni armed political and religious movement that has emerged as one of the most formidable forces in the Middle East. Here’s what to know about the group as U. and U. In this preview from our members-only livestream, Dr. Bruce Riedel discusses the Houthis in Yemen and the reasons behind the ongoing conflict with them. ec3cc, bxlt, gyyqp, v3tii, 58sh, 8inz, jbh3k, 1yrp6d, pdfly, mufyp,