The Houthi Threat
The Houthi movement began in the 1990s under the leadership of Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, a Zaydi Shia cleric and former member of Yemen’s parliament. What started as a revivalist religious and political effort in the Saada region quickly evolved into something much larger.
The movement initially focused on education and cultural preservation, responding to the spread of Wahhabi/Salafi ideology and growing Saudi influence in northern Yemen.
That cultural and ideological confrontation turned violent in 2004, when the group took up arms against the Yemeni government. This marked the beginning of the Saada Wars. Hussein al-Houthi was killed during the first conflict, but the movement continued to grow.
2004–2010: Despite repeated offensives, government forces failed to suppress the Houthis. Instead, the group gained combat experience, community support, and seized weapons often leveraging government atrocities to fuel recruitment and legitimacy.
By the time the Arab Spring reached Yemen in 2011, the Houthis were strategically positioned. During the uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, they allied with anti-government factions and jockeyed for influence.
When Saleh was forced to resign, the Houthis expanded their territorial control in northern Yemen and in an ironic twist, formed a temporary alliance with Saleh, their former adversary, in an attempt to undermine his successor, President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.
In 2014, the Houthis launched a successful coup, taking control of Sana’a and forcing Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia by early 2015.
In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched a military intervention aimed at restoring Hadi’s government. Years of airstrikes and international involvement changed little: the Houthis still control Sana’a and much of western Yemen.
Over time, Iran increased its support, supplying the Houthis with:
Ballistic missiles
Surface-to-air systems
One-way attack UAVs
Unmanned surface vessels
Millions of dollars in small arms
Iran effectively transformed the Houthis into a strategic proxy within range of Gulf states and, increasingly, Israel.
After Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, the Houthis joined Iran’s Axis of Resistance which includes Hezbollah, the Syrian regime, and several Iraqi militia groups in escalating attacks on Israel.
Their unique contribution: targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea, claiming these vessels were linked to Israel or its war effort.
This prompted the creation of Operation Prosperity Guardian in December 2023, a U.S.–U.K.–led mission to protect shipping lanes.
In March 2025, the campaign escalated into Operation Rough Rider, a three-month bombing campaign that:
Targeted over 800 sites
Killed hundreds of Houthi fighters, UAV and missile specialists
Damaged significant Houthi infrastructure
Despite international pressure, the Houthis continued launching Iranian-supplied ballistic missiles toward Israel including one that landed near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
This led to multiple Israeli airstrikes targeting Houthi positions. Most recently, Israel launched a naval strike on the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah a first for the Israeli Navy, likely executed using Sa’ar 6-class corvettes.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant:
“We warned the Houthi terror organization that if they continue to fire toward Israel, they will face a powerful response and will be subjected to a naval and aerial blockade.”
Solving the Houthi threat requires more than reactive strikes. A sustained air and naval blockade is needed to sever Iranian resupply routes into Yemen.
But the most decisive step would be to seize the port of Hodeidah the Houthis' main logistical and revenue hub. With support from anti-Houthi factions and coalition airpower, a coastal ground offensive is viable.
Just as the U.S. Air Force backed Iraqi ground forces against ISIS, similar coordination could cripple Houthi capabilities.
Taking Hodeidah would:
Disrupt Houthi maritime attacks
Secure international shipping routes
Protect Saudi Arabia and Israel
Weaken Iran’s proxy network
The Houthis are no longer just a domestic insurgency. They are a regional threat armed, funded, and inspired by Tehran.
Securing Yemen's western coast may be the key to weakening Iran’s axis and restoring stability to one of the world’s most vital waterways.