September 11, 2026
The Houthis and the Israel–Hamas War
The Houthis are an extremist Shia-Islamist movement and terrorist army backed by Iran. The group controls significant territory in Yemen and has emerged as a major regional threat since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.
Since late 2023, Houthi terrorists have launched ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel and attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians. Most attacks against Israel have been intercepted by Israeli air defenses, while U.S. and allied forces have also intercepted Houthi attacks targeting ships.
The Houthis have also hijacked and attacked commercial vessels, threatening international shipping and global trade.
Latest Updates:
The Houthi threat has escalated significantly, with the group expanding its control over territory surrounding the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Houthis seize Bab el-Mandeb territory: In September 2026, the Houthis captured territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and seized Mayyun Island, a strategically located island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group also captured the port city of Mocha and Zuqar Island during a week-long offensive that reportedly killed more than 500 people and displaced approximately 46,000.
- Control of a critical shipping chokepoint: The Houthis now appear to control territory along the Yemeni side of the Bab el-Mandeb, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Control of Mayyun Island gives the Houthis an additional strategic position overlooking the narrow waterway.
- Growing threat to Saudi Arabia: The Houthis have intensified attacks against Saudi Arabia, including missile and drone strikes that reportedly set oil facilities ablaze and wounded dozens of people. The escalation comes as Saudi Arabia increasingly relies on Red Sea routes for oil shipments.
- Iran welcomes Houthi gains: Iranian officials have celebrated the Houthis’ territorial advances, underscoring the group's role within Iran’s broader regional network of armed proxies and partners.
- Continued attacks on Israel: Despite military setbacks, the Houthis have continued launching missiles and drones toward Israel, maintaining their role as a threat to Israel from Yemen.
Who are the Houthis?
Made up of members of Yemen’s Shia-Zaidi minority group in the Saada district of northern Yemen, the Houthis have gained considerable power and influence over the last several years amid the ongoing civil war in Yemen. They are receiving Iranian funding, weapons, and training, posing a growing challenge to regional stability and global security.
According to the Alma Research and Education Center, initially a neglected group, the Houthis capitalized on the Arab Spring's momentum in the early 2010s to strengthen their position. By the end of 2014, they had taken control of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and by February 2015, they declared control over the country. This power shift was supported by Iranian influence and aid from Iran’s Lebanese terror proxy, Hezbollah.
The Houthi movement is led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, who assumed leadership after the death of his brother and founder, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, in 2004. Abdul-Malik serves as the group's spiritual and political leader, shaping its ideology and strategies. Hussein had initially established the movement to address the marginalization of Yemen’s Zaidi Shia community, and his death marked a shift toward militarization. Other key figures include Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a senior political leader and member of the Supreme Political Council, and Abdul-Karim al-Houthi, who oversees political and organizational efforts.
The movement also relies on influential military commanders like Yusuf al-Madani, who directs significant military operations. Houthi leadership is rooted in the al-Houthi clan and supported by tribal alliances and religious scholars. 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.
Who finances and arms the Houthis?
Iran has played a central role in financing and arming the Houthis, turning them into a powerful and destabilizing force in the region. Tehran's support includes providing advanced weaponry such as ballistic missiles, drones, and cruise missiles, as well as facilitating training through operatives from Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon. This assistance has enabled the Houthis to expand their military capabilities and challenge the Saudi-led Sunni Muslim coalition that has intervened in Yemen to support its internationally recognized government.
The rivalry between Iran, a Shia-majority Persian state, and Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Arab powerhouse and guardian of Islam's two holiest cities—Mecca and Medina—has been a key driver of regional tensions. Although the two nations restored diplomatic relations in early 2023, Saudi Arabia remains deeply concerned about Iran's ambitions, including its nuclear program and its support for militant groups across the Middle East. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in Yemen to counter the Iranian-backed Houthis, viewing their rise as a direct threat to Gulf stability and Sunni dominance in the region. Iran's backing of the Houthis thus serves as a broader strategy to extend its influence and challenge Saudi hegemony in the Arabian Peninsula.
How powerful are the Houthis?
The Houthis have demonstrated formidable military capabilities, particularly through their use of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These weapons have been deployed against targets in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, showcasing their ability to conduct long-range strikes. Their access to advanced weaponry, much of it reportedly supplied or supported by Iran, underscores their position as a significant regional actor with increasing military strength.
Since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, 2023, the Houthis have aligned themselves with Hamas, launching a series of missile and drone attacks against Israel in solidarity. Despite the intensity of these strikes, U.S. and Israeli air defense systems have effectively intercepted most of the threats, preventing widespread damage and casualties. However, the Houthis' persistent attacks and advanced weaponry continue to pose a serious security challenge in the region.
Why the Bab el-Mandeb Strait Matters
The Houthis pose a threat far beyond Israel and Yemen because of their position along the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and serves as a critical gateway to the Suez Canal. Millions of dollars' worth of goods and energy supplies pass through the region every day.
The Houthis' expanding control around the Bab el-Mandeb increases their ability to threaten commercial vessels traveling between Europe and Asia.
Their attacks have already forced ships to alter routes, increasing shipping times and costs and putting additional pressure on global supply chains.
The threat is particularly significant because the Houthis' position gives them the ability to challenge one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.
The group's attacks also threaten Israel's southern port of Eilat and create broader security concerns for Saudi Arabia and other countries bordering the Red Sea.
What do the Houthis want?
The Houthi movement's ideology is deeply rooted in antisemitic, Islamic fundamentalist, anti-American sentiment, as reflected in the slogan on its flag: “Allah is great, death to the USA, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam.” This extremist stance aligns with Iranian interests and suggests a broader objective of promoting Iran’s radical Islamist revolution throughout the Middle East.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen have been associated with antisemitic rhetoric and actions, raising concerns for the country's tiny remaining Jewish community. While the majority of Yemen's Jewish population, which once totaled 50,000, had left decades ago, the small amount that has remained has come under increasing persecution which started under former President Ali Abdullah Saleh but intensified under the Houthis, including the imprisonment of Levi Marhabi, who has been held by the Houthis since 2016, according to a United Nations report released in 2022. Additionally, the Houthis have also targeted other religious minorities, including Christians and members of the Baha’i community.
The Houthis want to control the region and often disrupt Yemen's stability and neighboring countries' security. They pose a major challenge in the Middle East, getting support from Iran and following an ideology that aims to reshape the region through destruction and warfare.
Why does the Houthi threat matter beyond the Middle East?
The Houthis demonstrate how Iran-backed groups can use relatively limited territory to exert influence far beyond their borders.
With Iran supporting the Houthis and the group operating near one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, the conflict in Yemen has direct implications for international security, energy markets, and global trade.
The Houthis' growing presence around the Bab el-Mandeb also creates the potential for a wider regional confrontation involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other international powers.
What is the U.S. stance on the Houthis?
On January 22, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the re-designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
During Trump's first term, the Houthis were designated as both an FTO and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. The Biden administration later revoked the FTO designation over humanitarian concerns but reinstated the SDGT designation in 2024 following Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.
The United States has also taken military action against Houthi targets in response to attacks on American forces, Israel, and international shipping.
