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Who are the Houthis?
Who are the Houthis?
This week, the Houthi rebels entered the US/Israel war against Iran in the Middle East. The Houthis are a political and military group based in Yemen which borders the Red Sea - another of the world’s major shipping routes. Their entry not only risks widening the conflict further, but it could also significantly add to global economic pressures... So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll look at:
Who the Houthis are
How they’re connected
And why their intervention might complicate things
Squiz the Shortcut
As always it’s good to get our bearings first… Where is Yemen?
Yemen sits to the south of Saudi Arabia, at the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula. It juts out at the narrow entrance to the Red Sea, a hugely important shipping corridor that connects the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal - that’s essentially a shipping shortcut linking Eastern countries to Western, or European, ones. But to enter the Red Sea, ships have to pass through its southern point, which is known as the Bab-El-Mandeb Strait…
How many ships pass through there?
An average of 50-60 ships usually pass through it daily, but that number has been cut by nearly half since the Iran war began back in February due to oil production having been scaled back as a result of the war in Iran, and also security risks which we’ll get into in a moment. But while that’s going on, 80% of the world’s cargo and oil shipments to Europe are now sailing around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding up to 15 days to the journey and thousands of kilometres, significantly increasing shipping costs.
Where is the Red Sea in relation to the Strait of Hormuz?
It’s on the other side of Saudi Arabia. The Strait of Hormuz, on Saudi Arabia’s east, is the waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. It’s the one that serves as a shipping channel for oil and gas coming from the Gulf States that’s being blockaded by Iran. The Red Sea lies to Saudi Arabia’s west, and as we mentioned, it’s a major channel for oil and cargo ships to access Europe via the Suez Canal.
Got it… So where do the Houthis come in?
The Houthis came to the world’s attention during the Gaza war when they began targeting ships passing through the Bab-El-Mandeb Strait in support of Palestinians. Last weekend, they entered the US/Israel’s war against Iran by launching missiles at Israel in support of Iran - and there are now fears that their attacks on ships in the Red Sea will start up again.
Tell me about the Houthis…
Their formal name is Ansar Allah - which means Partisans of God. They were founded by Hussein al-Houthi - that’s where their name comes from - and their current leader is his brother, Abdul Malik al-Houthi…
Why did they form?
They were founded in response to what was perceived as increasing amounts of Saudi influence in Yemen. A reminder at this point that there are 2 main branches of Islam - Shia and Sunni. It’s estimated that about 85-90% of the world’s Muslims are Sunni. The vast majority of Saudi Arabia’s population is Sunni. Iran’s population is about 90% Shia. Yemen is a bit more split - estimates say 65% Sunni, 35% Shia… So the Houthis were formed to fight for the Shia population in Yemen.
Are they prominent in any particular area of Yemen?
Yep, they’re prominent in the north of the country which they claim as their homeland. In the 2000s, they were in regular conflict with the authoritarian President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh. You may remember the Arab Spring of 2011?
Let’s assume I need a refresher…
We’ve got you… It was a series of uprisings across the region. But when it comes to Yemen, during that time, Saleh had to step down and hand control over to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. But didn’t lead to any calming down of hostilities - if anything, they ramped up and the Houthis movement gained steam during the rest of the 2010s. Long story short, they ended up forming an alliance with Saleh to capture the capital of Yemen, Sana’a, and force Hadi to flee. It was around this point that Saudi Arabia stepped in…
Why did the Saudis step in?
They were worried that the Houthis would take over Yemen entirely - and fighting has been going on in fits and starts ever since, with the death toll reaching more than 160,000 people. It’s worth noting too that the alliance with Saleh didn’t last - he broke with the Houthis in 2017 and they killed him 2 days later. They have continued to play a major role in Yemen ever since.
Can you explain the Houthis' support for Iran?
The Houthis consider themselves part of Iran’s axis of resistance. That includes the groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis fill a similar - but not identical - role in Yemen. They all act as proxy groups for Iran in their countries.
What’s in it for them?
Though Iran has officially denied it, most experts say that Iran gives the groups significant funding and military support - supplying them with training, drones, missiles and other military assets, because their interests are largely aligned with Iran’s. The Houthis are considered a terrorist organisation by the Australian government. They received that designation in mid-2024, due to their actions in the Red Sea…
Just explain that a bit more…
As we mentioned, during the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis launched attacks on Israel to support the Hamas cause. As part of that, they attacked some of the ships that came through the Bab-el-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea. They claimed that those attacks were on ships with connections to Israel, but they also hit ships that were found to have no connection at all. That earned the ire of the US government…
How did the US respond?
In January 2024, the US under then-President Joe Biden launched a series of air strikes on Houthi targets. But the Houthi attacks on ships largely continued, and in March 2025, the now-President Donald Trump authorised another wave of strikes…
What did Trump say about it?
At the time, Trump was very clear to point out that the Houthis were funded by Iran, and had made it impossible for ships carrying US flags to head through to the Suez Canal. You might also remember that particular strike, because it was the one where plans were made in a Signal chat that accidentally added a journalist to the group.
Did the Houthi attacks on ships ever stop?
They mostly died down when Israel and Hamas struck a ceasefire in October of 2025. But with the Houthis entering into this new conflict in the Middle East, there are fears that they could start up again, meaning the number of ships heading through the Red Sea will be dramatically reduced from what it’s already fallen to, which is an average of 37 per day down from 50-60…
What would that mean for the global economy?
It’d add significant pressure to the global economy, which is already struggling with rising oil prices and fuel shortages. If another major shipping lane - and one very important to the global trade of oil and gas - goes down, it stands to make the supply and cost-of-living challenges we’re facing much worse…
Onto our Recommendations
Reading: The Wilson Centre’s history of the Houthi group - it’s meaty but it gives you some extensive background on this group’s origins and the role they’ve played in the Middle East.
Reading: And that group chat story is still a belter - here’s a Guardian article about Atlantic Editor Jeffrey Goldberg’s account of being added to the confidential military discussion - and the original paywalled article from Goldberg himself.
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