- The Houthis, based in Sana’a, celebrated a recent missile attack on Israel near Ben Gurion Airport.
- Israel’s missile defence systems, Arrow and Iron Dome, attempted to intercept the recent Houthi missile, but it is unclear if the attempts were successful, raising tensions in the Middle East.
- The Houthis are a Shiite rebel group based in Yemen, officially known as Ansar Allah.
| Suez Canal shipping Route Houthis often attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea. It halved traffic on this vital route and increased maritime transport costs, impacting the Egyptian economy and disrupting the Suez Canal. The conflict has severely impacted international shipping, with a 50% reduction in traffic through the Red Sea. Forced ships to reroute around Africa, significantly increasing travel time and fuel costs. |
- They advocated for greater autonomy for the Zaidi Shia minority in northern Yemen.
- The group gained prominence during Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014 when they took control of the capital Sana’a and ousted the Yemeni government.
- Saudi Arabia supported the Yemeni government against the Houthis.
- A ceasefire exists in Yemen, but the risk of a return to full-scale civil war remains.
- Iran has been accused of arming the Houthis.
- The Houthis have also used variants of Iranian ballistic missiles.
Dig Deeper: Locate on map countries affected by Hezbollah, Houthis and Hamas.
