Houthi
Yemeni armed movement allied with Iran, conducting drone and missile strikes across the region.
Last refreshed: 3 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How do the Houthis fit into Iran's strategy during the 2026 war?
Latest on Houthi
- Who are the Houthis?
- Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, is a Zaydi Shia armed movement controlling northern Yemen. They are allied with Iran and part of the Axis of Resistance.Source: lowdown
- Are the Houthis attacking during the Iran-Israel war?
- Yes. The Houthis have continued missile and drone strikes against Israel and Gulf Arab states, contributing to the 2,469+ munitions intercepted by UAE defences by late March 2026.Source: lowdown
- How does Iran control the Houthis?
- Iran supplies weapons, training, and intelligence but does not command Houthi operations directly. The Houthis exercise independent political and military judgment within the broader Axis of Resistance framework.Source: lowdown
- What is the Houthi threat to Red Sea shipping?
- Since 2023 the Houthis have attacked Red Sea commercial shipping, forcing major rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope and disrupting global supply chains.Source: lowdown
- Are the Houthis controlled by Iran?
- Allied with Iran and receiving weapons and funding, but retaining independent decision-making on military operations.Source: IISS
Background
Ansar Allah, commonly called the Houthis, is a Zaydi Shia armed movement that controls most of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa. The movement rose from a religious revival in the 1990s and fought six insurgencies against the Yemeni government before taking Sanaa in 2014. Since 2015 it has been at war with a Saudi-led Coalition, and since 2023 it has expanded its operations to include missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel, positioning itself as a frontline actor in the Iran-led Axis of Resistance.
Since the outbreak of the Iran-Israel war in 2026, the Houthis have continued strikes against Israel and Gulf Arab states, firing missiles and drones into UAE airspace as part of coordinated Axis pressure. The UAE's cumulative intercepts had reached 2,469 incoming munitions by late March, with Houthi salvoes contributing a significant share. Houthi operations extend IRGC strategic reach without committing Iranian forces directly, providing Iran with deniable, geographically dispersed offensive capacity.
The Houthis occupy a distinctive position in the regional order: they depend on Iranian weapons, training, and intelligence, yet exercise independent political and military judgment. Their continued strikes risk widening the conflict into Yemen at a moment when Saudi Arabia and the UAE are pursuing their own diplomatic tracks with Tehran. For the United States, Houthi activity complicates naval operations in the Red Sea and adds a southern front to an already multi-theatre conflict.
