The Houthis have become the most formidable challenger to U.S. maritime dominance since WWII, disrupting global trade through the Red Sea.
Browsing: Houthis
The Gaza ceasefire hasn’t ended the Israel-Houthi war; both sides remain poised for conflict, complicating Yemen’s fragile peace process.
Israeli-Houthi strikes escalate as Israel targets the Yemeni government and Houthis expand maritime attacks, threatening regional shipping and stability.
A new airstrip on Zuqar Island provides surveillance and interdiction capabilities against Houthi smuggling routes. The UAE-backed National Resistance Forces use such bases to project power and intercept Iranian weapons, complicating Tehran’s support network for the Houthis.
This cross-Gulf cooperation, backed by Iran, aims to secure weapon supply routes, expand asymmetric warfare capabilities, and project influence over vital sea lanes. It merges local militant interests with Tehran’s broader strategy of regional disruption.
The debate centers on whether satellite internet is a tool for liberation or foreign surveillance. Its introduction risks deepening the conflict by becoming another weaponized asset, further entrenching divisions and external influence in Yemen’s fragmented war.
“The success of the Houthis, who have paralyzed about 12 percent of international trade, distracting the West, suits the Russian side just fine. Moscow is not prepared to risk its remaining allies for the sake of international stability.”
The Houthis’ deep ties with Iraqi militias provide arms, funding, and a launchpad for attacks, transforming them into a regional force. Yet with key allies like Hezbollah weakened and Syria’s regime fallen, Iran may rely on the Houthis more, even as the axis declines.
A study argues the U.S. missed three key chances to prevent Yemen’s war between 2011-2015, including by not restraining former President Saleh or moderating Saudi war aims. These failures, rooted in short-term priorities and flawed assumptions, enabled the Houthis’ rise to global disruptors.