Houthis vs Trump confrontation could expand to regional war? Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels of Yemen, are in direct confrontation with the US military in a fight that has intensified since President Donald Trump ordered air strikes on March 15. In the latest developments, the US national security advisor Mike Waltz said the strikes on Yemen have taken out some key Houthi leaders including their top missile specialist. In response, Houthis targeted US vessels in the Red Sea, the Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel and other parts of the Jewish nation. The flare-up, after Houthis threatened more attacks on Red Sea shipping in the wake of Israel-Hamas war, has embroiled the Middle East region in yet another potential regional war.
“We’ve hit their headquarters…communications nodes, weapons factories, and even some of their over-the-water drone production facilities” Waltz said while speaking to the US media. His comments came after the US bombed several Yemeni installations including an airport. Mansour al-Saadi, the commander of the Houthi naval forces was injured during the raids on a Yemeni naval base, soon after Trump’s warning to ‘annihilate’ Houthis and direct warnings to Iran.
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There were at least three US airstrikes on the Hodeidah Airport, aimed at missile and drone facilities, according to reports. The US also bombed Saada province in the north, Sahar and Kitaf districts, and the central Marib province.
So, is It now time to take Houthis more seriously than before? Who are they? How did they develop into a formidable force in Yemen and the Middle East region?
Who are the Houthis? How did they become so powerful?
Houthis are an Iran-backed rebel militia in Yemen. Once a rag-tag rebel army, they are now challenging the most powerful military in the world. They are the strongest rebel group in Yemen and control the capital Sanaa, which they captured in 2014.
They are members of the Zaydi sect belonging to Shia Islam. The group is named after the leader of their movement, Hussein al-Houthi. Zaydis had ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962.
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Is Iran the handler of Houthis?
Iran, the most prominent Shia nation in the Middle East, has tacitly supported the Houthis, but publicly denies it. Even in recent comments in the wake of Trump’s direct criticism of Teheran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said Houthis act independently.
Nevertheless, it is widely believed Teheran uses Houthis among the several rebel groups fighting proxy wars against the US, Israel and Western forces in the region These groups are thought to have received training from Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC and form its so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’
The Islamic Republic reportedly provides them with arms, ammunition and high-tech equipment including missiles and drones.
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Why did Houthi-US confrontation escalate?
Since the Israel-Hamas war started in 2023, the Houthi rebels have been frequently attacking commercial and military ships of US, Israel and Western nations, mainly in the Red Sea. But things escalated amid uncertainty over the future of a ceasefire between the Jewish nation and the Palestinian militants
Houthi attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is fighting against Israel in Gaza.
The US and Western powers have conducted strikes against Houthis since 2024 in retaliation for the rebel attacks on their shipping interests
Once back in power, US President Donald Trump ordered strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. That strike, on March 15, triggered a fresh outbreak in the war. Houthis responded by targeting US ships.
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Amid all this, Trump made a series of warnings against Houthis. He directly accused Iran of supporting them
“We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” he said in a social media post.
What is the military strength of Houthis?
Houthis are the strongest rebel group in Yemen and reportedly have at least 100,000 fighters. They are trained in land, air and marine warfare, and can operate complex weapon systems like cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones. These include the ballistic missile Typhoon, remade from Iran’s Qadr missile, with a range of 1600-1900 kilometres and the Iran-made Quds cruise missile with a range of 1650 km. Their drone arsenal includes Shahed 136 and Samad 3. These are either made in Iran or contain Iranian components, and have a range of 1600-2000 km.
Will the Houthi-US conflagration lead to a regional war?
Already, the Houthis have struck US ships at least five times, though not very successfully. The attacks and counterattacks are increasingly escalating as the US strikes targeted senior Houthi figures.
The Houthis have expanded their attacks beyond Red Sea, and targeted nations other than the US, particularly Israel.
That could expand further and could include commercial or military vessels of other, mostly Western nations operating in the region. They could also attack the energy infrastructure of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have been fighting the war in Yemen against the rebels
There is a clear danger of it becoming another regional war unless the current flare-up stops.