Starting in 2004 the Houthis, a terrorist organization originally from Yemen, have been involved in a civil war — fighting Yemen’s government for years and slowly gaining control of the country. Their movement is known as Ansar Allah and is led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

The Houthis have ties to Zaidi Shiite Islam, the group escalated their conflict with the government and drew strength and support from Iran. This geopolitical orientation made them an important player in the complex dynamics of the Middle East.

Houthis supported Hamas and began their attacks in Yemen after Israel’s war in Gaza began. Using missiles and drones, the Houthis targeted both military targets and international shipping in the Red Sea. 

This attack threatened the security of shipping and global trade routes. In response to these attacks, the U.S. and Britain took military actions to stop any advances.

Although the organization claims only to be attacking Israel-linked cargo ships, they have begun to target vessels that have no relation to Israel, such as U.S. and UK military ships.

U.S. President, Joe Biden released a statement warning the Houthis: “We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior.”