Who are Yemen's Houthis? Understanding the Iranian-backed militant group

The Houthis are a Yemeni political and military organisation that has grown into one of the Middle East's most consequential non-state actors over the past two decades. Originating as a religious revivalist movement in northern Yemen during the 1990s, the group has evolved into a formidable armed force with substantial territorial control and operational capabilities that extend far beyond Yemen's borders.

Iran has provided the Houthis with military training, financial resources, and advanced weaponry, transforming them into a strategic proxy force in Tehran's regional competition with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. This support has enabled the movement to develop capabilities including ballistic missiles and drone technology, which they have employed in attacks on Saudi infrastructure, Emirati targets, and international commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The group's control over Yemen's most populous regions has created a humanitarian crisis affecting millions of civilians. Despite international efforts to broker peace agreements, the Houthis have maintained their military posture and political autonomy, resisting pressure from the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015.

The Houthis' growing arsenal and willingness to strike regional and international targets have elevated them from a local Yemeni faction to a significant variable in Middle Eastern security calculations. Their actions have disrupted global maritime trade, complicated regional diplomacy, and demonstrated how Iranian-backed groups can project power across considerable distances, reshaping conventional understandings of conflict and influence in the region.