After four years of relative calm, the war pitting Yemen’s Houthi militia against the internationally recognized government and its backer Saudi Arabia has flared up once again. In launching a full-scale military campaign against the Houthis in early October, the Saudi-led force declared its objective was to eliminate the group entirely. Yet, once dismissed as a ragtag band operating from pickup trucks, the Houthis have repeatedly demonstrated remarkable staying power, tactical reach, and military evolution.
Having seized the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014, the Houthis now control territory encompassing the vast majority of the country’s population. They have previously weathered years of Saudi-backed military campaigns designed to dislodge them, as well as intensive bombing raids by the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel meant to punish the group for strikes on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and on Israel itself. Since the conflict reignited, the militia has landed serious blows on Saudi cities and the headquarters of state oil giant Aramco, showcasing a growing military sophistication.
Officially known as Ansar Allah, or Supporters of God, the Houthis trace their roots to a clan from Yemen’s northwestern Saada province. They follow the Zaidi branch of Shiite Islam, which accounts for roughly a third of Yemen’s population. The group emerged in the 1990s following the unification of North and South Yemen, launching successive rebellions against the central government before capturing Sanaa in 2014 and plunging the nation into civil war. Human rights organizations have documented a repressive domestic rule under the Houthis, including child soldier recruitment, the torture of political opponents, and the persecution of religious minorities.
Designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, the Houthis form part of the regional axis of resistance established by Iran, which also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. While the Houthis coordinate closely with Tehran and share its broader strategic objectives, analysts note that the group retains autonomy in its decision-making. Iran supplies significant weaponry, but the militia also draws on domestic tribal smuggling networks and procures commercially available components and raw materials from international suppliers, including China. By expanding domestic assembly and manufacturing, the Houthis have reduced their reliance on complete Iranian weapons shipments, complicating efforts by adversaries to disrupt their supply chains.
The fragile truce that had held for nearly four years began to unravel on July 13, when Saudi jets struck Sanaa’s international airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. The delegation was returning from the funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the onset of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran. Riyadh has long accused Tehran of utilizing commercial passenger flights as an air bridge to transfer military experts and weapons into Houthi-controlled territories.
The Houthis retaliated by launching missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia. On July 20, the militia announced a naval blockade against the kingdom, warning commercial shipping firms against utilizing Saudi ports. They subsequently resumed targeting vessels in the Red Sea, focusing initially on ships with perceived Saudi links. Subsequent attacks struck Saudi cities, military installations, and critical energy infrastructure, prompting retaliatory Saudi airstrikes. Inside Yemen, the militia escalated its offensive against the Saudi-backed government, pushing south in September to secure vital control over the Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait.
For Saudi Arabia, defeating the Houthis is vital to safeguarding Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic diversification agenda, which relies heavily on attracting billions in foreign investment for projects ranging from advanced data centers to electric vehicle manufacturing. For the international community, neutralizing the Houthi threat is essential for restoring stability to maritime trade. The shipping route traversing the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb strait represents the most efficient passage between Europe and Asia. Ongoing attacks have forced many shipping lines to divert vessels around the southern tip of Africa, adding thousands of miles and up to two weeks of transit time.
Despite overwhelming military expenditures, Saudi Arabia faces inherent defensive challenges due to its vast geographic size. Covering more than 2.1 million square kilometers, the kingdom encompasses numerous sprawling cities, air bases, and oil facilities that are difficult to shield entirely from incoming small drones, low-flying cruise missiles, and ballistic projectiles. Although Riyadh operates advanced defense systems including Patriot missile batteries and customized F-15 fighter jets, defense experts point out that military modernization remains gradual and unevenly distributed across the armed forces.
In contrast, the Houthis are battle-hardened veterans of prolonged conflict, possessing a high tolerance for wartime attrition. Their operational methods rely on hidden, mobile missile launchers and subterranean arms production facilities carved into Yemen’s rugged terrain, making them exceptionally difficult to eradicate through aerial campaigns alone. A prior three-month U.S. bombing campaign involving more than 1,000 strikes concluded with a ceasefire without eliminating the group’s offensive capabilities.
As the renewed fighting intensifies, the Saudi-backed coalition has received limited direct military support from international partners. Gulf allies have expressed diplomatic solidarity without committing troops, while Egyptian officials indicated readiness to offer unspecified support. Turkey and Pakistan, bound by a bilateral defense pact with Saudi Arabia signed in August, have signaled a willingness to supply personnel or weaponry strictly in a defensive capacity. The United Kingdom has provided mid-air refueling support and deployed aircraft to intercept incoming projectiles, and France announced plans to send troops and radar systems to protect the Red Sea oil export hub of Yanbu. Meanwhile, the United States continues to share intelligence with Riyadh, though Washington has sought to avoid broader regional escalation.
