Within days, the Houthis rapidly advanced into southern Yemen and took control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, a development that strengthened their position as a prominent regional power within the network of Iranian-backed armed groups in the Middle East.
The Houthis are included within what is known as the “Axis of Resistance” led by Tehran, as well as alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Palestinian Hamas movement, and armed Iraqi factions. Saudi Arabia and the United States have long considered them one of the tools of Iranian influence in the region, accusing Tehran of supplying them with weapons, accusations that Iran has always denied.
Although the Houthis, unlike Hezbollah, do not consider the Iranian leader their supreme religious authority, their relationship with Tehran has witnessed an increasing rapprochement and has become noticeably closer over the past years.
In 2024, the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea that they said were linked to Israel, stressing that their campaign came in support of the Palestinians during the war in Gaza. The attacks forced many shipping companies to take a long detour around the southern tip of Africa.
In the recent Iran war, the Houthis, with the sequence of events, maintained a degree of independence from their main supporter to obtain military support, and preferred not to become fully involved.
Bab al-Mandab returns to the forefront
The Houthis have long possessed the ability to disrupt trade through their attacks in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, its southern gateway.
The Red Sea, which connects Europe to Asia via the Suez Canal, has become a vital artery for Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom resorted to it to continue its oil exports after the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted most shipping traffic from the Gulf.
In July, the Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, and have since repeatedly attacked its ships in the Red Sea.
Shortly after the resumption of confrontations with the Yemeni government forces, on the third of this month, the Houthis launched a large-scale attack aimed at controlling Bab al-Mandab.
A week later, they took control of the entire Yemeni coast overlooking the Red Sea, in addition to strategic islands inside and around the strait, which strengthened their ability to control shipping traffic and target Saudi oil tankers.
Saudi Arabia asks for Trump's support
With renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, the Axios news website reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump twice to request strikes against the Houthis last week, but Trump refused. The newspaper says, noting the dilemma facing Washington if it comes to support Riyadh, which at the same time portends an expansion of the scope of the war.
On the other hand, after a surprise attack that lasted a week, the Houthis on Friday extended their control over the western coast of Yemen on the Red Sea. They also took control of the four islands in the Bab al-Mandab region, whose importance has increased for Saudi Arabia in particular, since Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war between it and Washington.
