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Yemen's Houthis coordinate with Iran, but retain independence, despite war
Having spent a month on the sidelines, Yemen’s Houthis have entered the regional conflict between their ally, Iran, and its enemies, the United States and Israel.So far, however, that involvement has been limited – with only the March 28 confirmed attack on Israel so far – and has not targeted shipping in the Red Sea, as the Houthis previously did following the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran war: What is happening on day 33 of US-Israel attacks?list 2 of 3One month of war on Iran cost Arab countries up to $194bn: UNDPlist 3 of 3Iraq risks Arab ties as Iran-aligned groups strike Gulf nationsend of listThe question, therefore, is now how far the Houthis are willing to go in this war, in the knowledge that they are likely attempting to avoid a broad confrontation that could drain them materially, and in human terms, inside Yemen.It is first important to understand the degree to which the Houthis have acted independently of Iran in their decision to attack.The facts indicate that the relationship between the Houthis and Iran is based on an unequal partnership: Tehran provides the group with support, expertise, technology, and political cover within the Iran-led regional “Axis of Resistance”, while the Houthis retain a margin of manoeuvrability governed by their local calculations and their method of leveraging regional escalation to serve their project inside Yemen.Within this framework, the group’s decisions intersect with Iran’s interests without automatically mirroring the behaviour of Lebanon’s Hezbollah or some pro-Iran Iraqi factions, which are much more closely tied to Iranian decision-making.This margin of manoeuvre does not negate the depth of the Houthis’ connection to Iran, but it explains how the group manages this coordination to serve its domestic project in Yemen, where it controls the capital Sanaa, and much of the country’s northwest.The Houthis have much to thank Iran for their military expansion across Yemen in the years after 2014 and the start of the war in that country. A 2024 United Nations experts report said that support coming from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, as well as Hezbollah and Iraqi groups, played a decisive role in transforming the Houthis from a limited local group into a more organised and heavily armed military force.The report explained that Houthi members received tactical and technical training outside Yemen, and used advanced weapons systems, which con...
Houthi involvement in Iran's war deepens Yemen's food crisis
Repercussions beyond the war These warnings come amid mounting signs that the Tehran-aligned Houthi group is expanding its involvement in the conflict, after announcing missile attacks toward Israel and linking the continuation of its military operations to developments in the regional confrontation.
Yemen's Houthis open fourth front in Iran war, with global implications ...
BEHIND THE LINES: By joining Iran's war, the Houthis have opened a dangerous new arena - one that could hit global trade, oil flows, and the wider regional balance.
Houthi Escalation Calculus into the Iran War | ISW
The Houthis have entered the Iran war but have not joined Iran's regional economic warfare campaign, indicating a restrained approach.
