Explainer-Who are the Houthis, Iran’s allies in Yemen?

The Houthis are a military, political, and religious movement based in northwest Yemen, which has gained control over most of the region. The group emerged in the 1990s as a revival movement for the Zaydi sect of Shi’ite Islam, a sect that once ruled Yemen but had become marginalized in recent decades. The Houthis fought several guerrilla wars against Yemen's national army and engaged in a brief border conflict with Saudi Arabia.

In 2011, when Yemen's president was ousted during the Arab Spring protests, the Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa and drove the internationally recognized government south towards Aden. With support from Iran, the group transformed its mountain fighters into a force of tens of thousands. This rise in power has led to renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, reigniting Yemen's civil war and posing a threat to Red Sea shipping routes and Middle Eastern energy exports.

The Houthis have attacked cargo ships and oil installations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, causing significant damage over the years. Despite the damage caused, the group's attacks have not been as effective against targets further north, such as Israel. Iran supports the Houthis as part of its regional Axis of Resistance, which also includes Hezbollah and Iraqi Shi’ite militias.

However, the Houthis do not recognize Iran's supreme leader as their ultimate religious authority, and their motivations are mainly domestic. The US claims that Iran has provided arms, funding, and training to the Houthis through Hezbollah, but the group denies being an Iranian proxy and claims they develop their own weapons.