Inside Yemens Houthi militants: What they believe and how they threaten the West as part of Irans axis of resistance
When President Trump announced Yemen’s Houthi militants had agreed to lay down their arms and would no longer disrupt shipping in the Red Sea earlier this week, the terrorist group was quick to point out the ceasefire did not include their arch enemy, Israel.The Islamic fundamentalist group, said to number 20,000 fighters, have been amassing weapons and learning tactics – largely through their main backers, Iran – which have pulled them from a small regional faction into striking international targets.The group is more powerful than most people realize, having launched more than 100 attacks in the Red Sea Since November 2023 on both military and commercial vessels off the coast of Yemen, significantly disrupting global trade.After barrages of missile and drone attacks, earlier this week the Houthis fired a missile which landed near Israel’s main civilian airport on the outskirts of Tel Aviv — an attack over a distance of 1,500 miles.It prompted retaliatory airstrikes on the airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, “fully disabling” it, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Three people died in the attack, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.Airstrikes by the UK and US militaries against the Houthis have taken place since 2024, with renewed and more intense operations since March 15 this year, hitting over 1,000 targets including facilities where drones are manufactured, fuel depots and supply chains.Among the Houthis targets in the red sea have been the USS Harry S.
Truman aircraft carrier.Tensions have been high between Israel and the Houthis since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks on Israel that left 1,200 Israelis dead.The Houthis claim they target any ship linked to Israel and its allies, including those of the US and UK, but in practice have targeted many vessels not associated with the country.Also known as ‘Ansar Allah’ (supporters of God), the Houthis are a Zaidi Shia Muslim sect which emerged in the 1990s.
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