OMM Redaksiyası
Attacks by the Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia have intensified. Targets have included the airport in Riyadh and other cities; more than 10 people have reportedly been killed in the attacks.
The Houthis’ position in Yemen
The Houthis are a political, religious and military movement that controls much of northwestern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. The group was founded in the 1990s by members of the Zaydi Shia community, whose roots lie in northern Yemen. The movement initially focused on religious revival and opposed growing political and foreign influence.
In subsequent years, the Houthis became an armed force and clashed with the Yemeni government several times. Taking advantage of political turmoil that followed the 2011 Arab Spring protests, the movement seized Sanaa in 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government to move to the southern city of Aden. Since then, it has consolidated control over much of the country’s most densely populated areas.
Confrontation with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia became directly involved in the conflict after the Houthis seized Sanaa. Concerned by the movement’s growing strength on its southern border and its ties to Iran, Riyadh led a military coalition against Yemen in 2015. The stated aims of the intervention were to defeat the Houthis, restore the internationally recognized government and prevent the movement from expanding.
The intervention turned Yemen’s political crisis into a devastating civil war. Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the United Arab Emirates, carried out extensive airstrikes, while the Houthis launched missiles and drones at Saudi territory. Neither side secured a decisive victory. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced fighting and largely froze the conflict.
The current escalation is linked to the widening confrontation between Iran and the United States. The Houthis, who have longstanding political and military ties with Tehran, have supported Iran in the current conflict. As the confrontation involving Iran, the United States, Israel and the Gulf region deepens, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have resumed.
Red Sea shipping and regional risks
Since late 2023, the Houthis have attacked commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea. The movement has said the campaign is intended to support Palestinians during Israel’s war in Gaza. The attacks have led many shipping companies to avoid the Red Sea and take the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing journey times, fuel costs and insurance premiums.
The Red Sea is a major trade route linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Houthi attacks have already affected cargo and energy transport in the region. At a time when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also been disrupted, a renewed campaign against vessels could worsen the situation and affect global oil markets, freight costs and supply chains.
The Houthis have also demonstrated an ability to strike energy infrastructure. Previous attacks targeted oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The impact has varied depending on the location of the target and the strength of air defenses.
The movement has grown from a relatively small rebel force into an organization with tens of thousands of fighters and heavy weapons. The Houthis have a large arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones. These weapons allow them to strike targets in Yemen and neighboring countries. However, their ability to reach distant targets is less consistent: previous attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE have caused significant damage, while some attempts to hit more distant targets have been intercepted by air-defense systems or failed to reach their targets.
Iran is one of the Houthis’ main international backers and considers the movement part of its broader “Axis of Resistance.” The network also includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah and several Shia armed groups in Iraq. However, Tehran’s relationship with the Houthis is not the same as its ties to those organizations: the Houthis do not regard Iran’s supreme leader as their own supreme religious leader, and the movement’s roots and political aims are primarily tied to Yemen.
The United States says Iran has provided the Houthis with weapons, funding and training, with help from Hezbollah. The Houthis reject the characterization of them as an Iranian proxy and say they have developed their military capabilities themselves.
The renewed escalation raises the risk that Saudi Arabia could return to direct military confrontation with the Houthis after years of relative calm. This could reignite one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and deepen regional instability. For Riyadh, the challenge is to protect its territory and vital infrastructure while avoiding a return to the wider war in Yemen that it has spent years seeking to end.
