Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are increasing their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, claiming revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza. The attacks have forced some of the world’s largest shipping and oil companies to halt transit along one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes, potentially causing a shock to the global economy. The Houthis are thought to have been armed and trained by Iran, and there is concern that their attacks will escalate Israel’s war against Hamas into a larger regional conflict.
Who are Houthis?
The Houthi movement, also known as Ansarallah (Supporters of God), is one of the parties involved in Yemen’s nearly decade-long civil war. It first emerged in the 1990s, when its leader, Hussein al-Houthi, founded “Believing Youth,” a religious revival movement for Zaidism, a centuries-old subsect of Shia Islam.
The Zaidis ruled Yemen for centuries but were marginalized by the Sunni regime that took power following the 1962 civil war. Al-Houthi’s movement was founded to represent Zaidis and oppose radical Sunnism, particularly Wahhabi ideas from Saudi Arabia. His closest followers became known as the Houthis.
Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s first president following the 1990 unification of North and South Yemen, initially backed the Believing Youth. However, as the movement’s popularity grew and anti-government rhetoric intensified, it became a threat to Saleh. Things came to a head in 2003, when Saleh backed the United States’ invasion of Iraq, which many Yemenis opposed.
For al-Houthi, the schism represented an opportunity. He capitalized on public outrage by organizing large-scale protests. After months of chaos, Saleh issued an arrest warrant.
Al-Houthi was killed by Yemeni forces in September 2004, but his movement persisted. The Houthi military wing expanded as more fighters joined the cause. They took control of the northern province of Saada, inspired by the early Arab Spring protests in 2011, and demanded the overthrow of the Saleh regime.
In 2011, Saleh agreed to hand over power to his Vice President, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, but the government was no longer popular. The Houthis struck again in 2014, seizing parts of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, before storming the presidential palace early the following year.
Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia, which declared war on the Houthis at his request in March 2015. What was supposed to be a quick campaign lasted years. A cease-fire was finally signed in 2022. It lapsed after six months, but the warring parties have not resumed full-scale conflict.
What is happening in Yemen?
According to the United Nations, the war in Yemen has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. According to UN estimates, nearly a quarter of a million people have died as a result of the conflict.
Since the ceasefire, the Houthis have consolidated control over the majority of northern Yemen. They have also sought an agreement with the Saudis that would end the war and solidify their position as the country’s rulers.
The Houthis are supported by Iran, which began increasing its aid to the group in 2014 as the civil war escalated and its rivalry with Saudi Arabia heated up. According to a 2021 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Iran has provided the group with weapons and technology, including sea mines, ballistic and cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones).
The Houthis are part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance,” an anti-Israel and anti-Western coalition of regional militias backed by the Islamic Republic. The Houthis, along with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, are one of three major Iran-backed militias to launch attacks on Israel in recent weeks.
How dangerous are the Houthis?
American officials have been monitoring iterative improvements in the range, accuracy, and lethality of the Houthis’ domestically produced missiles. Initially, home-grown Houthi weapons were largely assembled with Iranian components and smuggled into Yemen in pieces, according to a US intelligence official.
However, gradual changes have resulted in significant overall improvements, according to the official. In an unusual development, the Houthis have used medium-range ballistic missiles against Israel, firing a barrage of projectiles at Israel’s southern region of Eilat in early December, which Israel claims it intercepted.
While the Houthis may not pose a significant threat to Israel, their technology can cause havoc in the Red Sea. They have used drones and anti-ship missiles to target commercial ships, some of which are not thought to be affiliated with Israel, prompting the USS Carney, a warship in the Red Sea, to respond to distress calls.
While the Houthis may lack the capabilities of Hamas and Hezbollah due to geography and technology, their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea may cause Israel and its allies to suffer uniquely.
The global economy has received a series of painful reminders of the importance of this narrow stretch of sea, which connects the Bab-el-Mandeb straits off the coast of Yemen to the Suez Canal in northern Egypt and transports 12% of global trade, including 30% of global container traffic.
