Geopolitics › Middle East & North Africa › Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' (allied militias)
Houthis (Ansar Allah, Yemen)
Seized Sanaa 2014· Conflict or rivalry
FactTreaties, membership, measured data, events.
A Yemeni Zaydi Shia rebel movement, armed by Iran, that controls the capital Sanaa and most of Yemen's people.
See it on the Geopolitics map →The picture
Named for founder Hussein al-Houthi and led by his brother Abdul-Malik, the group seized Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015; that war killed an estimated 150,000 or more directly (estimates vary), and a 2022 truce largely held. From November 2023, citing Gaza, the Houthis attacked over 100 merchant ships. They joined the 2026 Iran war with missiles on Israel in March and declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, 2026.
Why it matters
With cheap missiles and drones, a poor militia disrupted a route carrying roughly 12–15% of world trade and survived US, British and Israeli strikes.
Key facts and numbers
Ship-attack logs from navies and maritime agencies, UN expert panels tracing Iranian weapons, and Houthi statements. War death estimates come from ACLED and UN-commissioned studies.
What to watch
How much Tehran directs the Houthis versus advising them; many analysts see them as Iran's most autonomous partner.
Connections (3)
▸Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' (allied militias) includes Houthis (Ansar Allah, Yemen)Fact
The relationship
Iran has given the Houthis missile and drone designs, components, training and advisers since the 2010s, turning a rebel militia into a force able to hit ships and Israel. Unlike Hezbollah, they keep their own agenda and supply routes, and they emerged as the axis's most intact member after 2024.
Since when and why
Ties deepened after the Houthis took Sanaa in 2014 and the Saudi-led war began in 2015; the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards manages the link.
How we know
Seized arms shipments, including about 750 tons intercepted in July 2025, and UN panel reports matching Houthi missiles to Iranian designs.
What to watch
Whether Iran can keep resupplying them as sea interdictions tighten and its own arsenal is hit in 2026, and how much the Houthis can now build at home.
▸Houthis (Ansar Allah, Yemen) attacked shipping in Suez Canal, Red Sea and Bab el-MandebFact
The relationship
Citing Gaza, the Houthis attacked over 100 merchant ships from November 2023, sinking four by mid-2025. Most container lines rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, adding 10–14 days; Suez Canal revenue fell by more than half in 2024. Attacks paused with the Gaza truce and resumed in July 2026.
Since when and why
Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, starting with the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader on November 19, 2023; US, British and Israeli strikes followed.
How we know
Maritime-security incident logs, shipping-line announcements, Suez Canal Authority revenue figures and freight-rate data.
What to watch
Whether shipping lines will ever fully return to Suez, and whether naval escorts or strikes can stop cheap missiles and drones.
▸Houthis (Ansar Allah, Yemen) joined US–Israel war with Iran (2026)Fact
The relationship
After a month of threats, the Houthis entered the war on March 28, 2026 by firing ballistic missiles at Israel. In July they resumed Red Sea attacks and declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia, ending their truce with Riyadh, so ships now face risk at both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
Since when and why
Yemen, from March 28, 2026; blockade declared July 20, 2026, with Saudi-linked tankers hit in July and August.
How we know
Announcements by Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, Israeli interception reports and maritime-security incident records.
What to watch
Why they waited a month, possibly to avoid US strikes, and whether Saudi retaliation reignites Yemen's civil war.