Who are the Houthis, Iran’s allies in Yemen?
USO•Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced a military counteroffensive against the Iran-backed Houthis, aiming to seize territory under their control. Renewed fighting has heightened risks to Red Sea shipping and further disrupted Middle Eastern energy exports.
1. Counteroffensive announced
Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced a military counteroffensive against the Houthis, who control most of northwest Yemen. Renewed warfare has reignited the country's frozen civil war and heightened risks to Red Sea shipping.
2. The Houthis’ rise
The movement emerged in northern Yemen in the 1990s and seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia led a military intervention in 2015, but neither side gained much ground; a UN-brokered truce in 2022 maintained peace until this year.
3. Shipping and Iran ties
The Houthis' Red Sea shipping attacks between 2023 and 2025 forced cargo ships travelling between Europe and Asia to take a longer route around Africa. Iran supports the group, but the Houthis deny being an Iranian proxy and say they develop their own weapons.
