What’s with the Houthis?

If the Houthis weren’t real, they’d make for a great absurdist comedy. Imagine a Monty Python sketch or a Sacha Baron Cohen satire featuring a ragtag militia with a slogan that literally reads: “God is great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.” Who actually brands themselves like that? Most organizations prefer a motto that at least pretends to be about prosperity, unity, or even just vague hope. Not the Houthis. They opted for a mission statement that doubles as a geopolitical hate speech banner, printed in bold letters on their flag. And yet, somehow, this movement has managed to grow into a regional powerhouse, hijacking Yemen, terrorizing shipping routes, and forcing world powers to take them seriously.

Who Are They and Where Did They Come From?

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are a Shiite Muslim militant group originating from northern Yemen. Their roots trace back to a sect called the Zaidis, a branch of Shiite Islam that has historically ruled parts of Yemen but found itself increasingly marginalized in the 20th century. In the 1990s, the movement began as a theological and political resistance group against the growing influence of Sunni Islam (particularly Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia) in Yemen. By the early 2000s, after repeated clashes with the Yemeni government, they evolved into an armed insurgency.

By 2014, the Houthis pulled off what seemed unthinkable—they took control of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, effectively overthrowing the government. Saudi Arabia, deeply unhappy about an Iranian-backed militia taking over its neighbor, launched a military campaign in 2015 to push them back. What followed was a brutal, grinding civil war that turned Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. Yet despite years of bombardment, economic collapse, and famine, the Houthis are still standing. More than that, they are thriving.

What Do They Actually Want?

Aside from their slogan’s explicit genocidal overtones, the Houthis have positioned themselves as an anti-Western, anti-Saudi, and anti-Israel force, deeply aligned with Iran. They claim to be fighting against corruption, foreign intervention, and oppression. But like most militant groups, their actions don’t quite align with their rhetoric. They impose brutal rule over Yemeni territories they control, execute dissenters, and have no problem targeting civilians, both inside and outside Yemen.

Iran’s influence is undeniable. The Houthis receive financial, logistical, and military support from Tehran, much like Hezbollah in Lebanon. Their sophisticated drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates bear the hallmarks of Iranian engineering. But unlike Hezbollah, which has carved out a space in Lebanese politics, the Houthis are a full-blown insurgent government, ruling large swaths of Yemen with an iron fist while launching attacks on anyone they see as an enemy.

The Houthis on the World Stage: Before and After October 7, 2023

Before Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Houthis were primarily seen as a regional problem—a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia and a complicating factor in Middle Eastern geopolitics. However, in the aftermath of October 7, they declared full allegiance to Hamas and launched missile and drone strikes at Israel. But it didn’t stop there. They escalated their activities dramatically, targeting international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, threatening global trade, and drawing military responses from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Why Did the Houthis Inject Themselves into the Israel-Gaza War?

One might reasonably ask: Why would a Yemeni insurgent group, already deeply embroiled in its own war, suddenly decide to escalate tensions by attacking Israel and threatening global trade? The answer likely lies in a mix of strategic, ideological, and opportunistic motives:

Seeking Attention and Legitimacy – The Houthis thrive on being seen as a major player in the “resistance” against Western and Israeli influence. By attacking Israel and targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, they elevate their status from a Yemeni insurgency to a regional force that claims to champion the Palestinian cause. Their actions force global powers, including the US and Israel, to take them seriously, granting them greater political relevance.

Strengthening Ties with Iran – The Houthis’ primary backer, Iran, has a vested interest in keeping its network of proxy militias active. By attacking Israel, the Houthis reinforce their loyalty to Tehran’s broader anti-Israel strategy and ensure continued financial and military support from Iran.

Testing Regional Power Dynamics – Their escalations serve as a way to test how far they can go before facing severe retaliation. They gauge the response of the US and its allies, which so far have responded with limited airstrikes rather than a full-scale military campaign against them. This helps them refine their military strategies and propaganda while maintaining their hold on power in Yemen.

Disrupting Global Trade as a Bargaining Chip – The attacks on shipping in the Red Sea serve multiple purposes. They hurt the economies of their perceived enemies, such as the US, Israel, and Western-aligned Arab states, while also giving them leverage in future negotiations. If international mediators step in, the Houthis can demand concessions in exchange for halting their attacks.

Do They Really Care About Hamas and the Palestinians? – While the Houthis claim solidarity with Hamas and Gaza, their support is more about political opportunism than genuine concern. They have not historically been deeply involved in Palestinian issues, and their actions appear more symbolic than strategically useful for Hamas. Unlike Hezbollah, which has a direct military alliance with Hamas, the Houthis’ involvement is largely about branding themselves as part of the wider anti-Israel resistance.

Do They Realize the Risks? – They likely do, but they also believe the rewards outweigh them. So far, they have been willing to endure airstrikes without backing down, suggesting they think they can sustain some losses while continuing their attacks. They may also be gambling that the US and Israel will hesitate to launch a full-scale offensive against them due to the risk of further destabilizing the region.

Why Can’t the World Stop Them?

One might reasonably ask: Why hasn’t the international community, led by military powerhouses like the US and its allies, simply obliterated this threat? The answer is a mix of strategic hesitation, geopolitical complexity, and a baffling tolerance for bad actors.

First, Yemen is an absolute mess. The country has been in a state of war for nearly a decade, and any military intervention runs the risk of escalating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The West is wary of getting further entangled in another Middle Eastern quagmire.

Second, Iran’s backing of the Houthis complicates things. Any decisive action against them risks retaliation from Tehran, potentially sparking a wider regional conflict. The US and its allies have instead relied on limited strikes and sanctions, hoping to contain rather than eliminate the Houthis.

Lastly, there is a strange international inertia when it comes to dealing with extremist groups that control territories. The world seems willing to “manage” rather than “solve” these crises, as has been the case with other extremist groups that hold significant territory. The Houthis are now essentially a governing power in Yemen, making their removal far more complicated than simply bombing their hideouts.

The Absurdity of It All

At the end of the day, what makes the Houthis truly bizarre isn’t just their actions—it’s the world’s inability (or unwillingness) to deal with them effectively. Here we have a group that proudly proclaims genocidal slogans, hijacks international shipping lanes, fires missiles at multiple countries, and somehow still gets treated like a force to be negotiated with rather than eradicated.

If it weren’t so tragic, it would be funny. A militant group with a slogan that reads like a cartoon villain’s manifesto is wreaking havoc on global trade and security, and world powers are struggling to figure out how to respond without making things worse.

So, what’s with the Houthis? They are a brutal, ideologically fanatical, yet strangely untouchable force in today’s geopolitical landscape. And as long as the world continues to tolerate their absurdity, they will continue to be a serious—and deeply unfunny—threat.