- Powerful armed political movement, controlling much of North Yemen
- not intl. recognized, but de facto authority in much of North Yemen
- formerly Ansar Allah
- emerged in 1990s
- Iran said to provide them substantial political, military & tech support
Rise to power
- 2000s houthi insurgency: fight w/ yemeni govt
- Arab Spring 2011
- weakened existing political order
- Attempted political transition under Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
- Houthi seize Sana’a 2014 (yemen capital)
- 2015: Saudi intervention
Red Sea
- Post Israel Hamas war 2023, Houthis began launching missiles, drones, attacks on commercial vehicles
- claiming soridarity w/ Palestinians
- Houthi controlled Yemen → Bab el Mandeb → Red Sea → Suez Canal → Mediterranean
Why Iran support
- provide iran w/ partner on arabian peninsula
- leverage against Saudi Arabia
- means of pressuring israel
- influence over Bab el Mandeb
- additional actor capable of challenging US/Saudi regional interests