Key facts
- Yemen's Houthi movement, controlling much of the country's north-west, seized large stretches of the Red Sea coast.
- The captured territory includes the port of Mokha, overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint for global shipping.
- The Houthis are an armed political and religious group from northern Yemen, championing the country's Shia Muslim minority, the Zaidis.
- The group emerged in the 1990s and takes its name from founder Hussein al-Houthi.
- The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa after the 2011 Arab Spring and now control between one-quarter and one-third of Yemen's territory, but 70-80% of its population.
- The Houthis want an end to a Saudi blockade, control of Yemen, and access to its oil and gas revenues.
- Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 fearing the Houthis would make Yemen a satellite of Iran.
- The Houthis began renewed attacks in October 2023, supporting Palestinians in Gaza.
- Iran reportedly smuggles weapons, including drones and missiles, to the Houthis, violating a UN arms embargo.
Yemen's civil war has intensified as the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which controls much of the country's north-west, rapidly advanced and seized significant portions of the Red Sea coast. This territory includes the strategically vital port of Mokha, overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping. The escalation has led to fears of further disruption to the global economy, with oil prices rising.
Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed on both sides during the Houthi offensive, which followed the collapse of a four-year informal ceasefire. The UN reports that over 120,000 people have been displaced by the increased conflict. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which opposes the Houthis and supports Yemen's internationally recognized government, has launched air strikes, while the Houthis have fired drones and missiles at southwestern Saudi Arabia and targeted commercial vessels linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, are an armed political and religious group from northern Yemen representing the country's Shia Muslim minority, the Zaidis. They declare themselves part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US, and the West. Emerging in the 1990s and named after their late founder Hussein al-Houthi, the group rebelled against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the early 2000s seeking greater autonomy for their northern homeland. They seized the capital Sanaa after the 2011 Arab Spring and now control between one-quarter and one-third of Yemen's territory, but 70-80% of its population. Their stated goals include an end to the Saudi blockade, control of all of Yemen, and access to its oil and gas revenues.
Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015, fearing Yemen would become an Iranian satellite. Years of conflict failed to dislodge the Houthis, contributing to a severe humanitarian crisis. A temporary ceasefire was brokered in 2022. Following the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthis began attacking Israel and merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in support of Palestinians. Western countries deployed warships, and the US and UK conducted air strikes. An Israeli strike killed senior Houthi figures, including the prime minister of their self-declared government. The US and Houthis agreed to cease hostilities in 2025, but the Houthis resumed attacks on Israel in February 2026 after US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The recent escalation began in July when the informal Saudi-Houthi ceasefire unraveled. The Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and launched attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and tankers in the Red Sea, citing a long-standing Saudi blockade and an air strike on Sanaa airport. This was followed by the September advance capturing significant coastline and the island of Perim, giving the Houthis control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. They maintain they pose no threat to international shipping, except for Saudi-linked vessels.
These actions have renewed concerns about global oil supplies, as the Bab al-Mandab Strait has become a crucial route for Saudi oil exports since disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi attacks on Saudi oil installations and an attack on the East-West Pipeline blamed on Iran-backed Iraqi militias exacerbate the situation, threatening further Western involvement. Media reports suggest the Yemeni government and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump to strike the Houthis, but Trump did not act, citing Houthi assurances not to hit US targets.
Saudi Arabia and Western powers allege Iran smuggles weapons, including drones and missiles, to the Houthis, violating a UN arms embargo. A UN panel concluded in 2024 that Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists provided materiel, assistance, and training that transformed the Houthis into a powerful military force. A May 2026 report by Conflict Armament Research indicated Iran is now sending weapon parts for assembly and sharing advanced missile technologies, though Iran denies supplying weapons and claims only political support.