Who Are the Houthis, Iran-Backed Militia Entering Mideast War?

Amid relentless war in the Middle East, the Iran-backed militants seem poised to renew their conflict with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. By Ismaeel Naar Ephrat Livni Abdi Latif Dahir Eve Sampson Jonathan Wolfe and Zane Irwin The Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have waded into a widening war in the Middle East, announcing a blockade on ships linked to Saudi Arabia and carrying out strikes on cargo vessels. Fears are growing that the Houthis, who control much of Yemen, may be on the verge of a new civil war with the country’s Saudi-backed government. Violence had abated after a truce took hold in 2022. Since then, Yemen has been effectively divided into two states, with the Houthis in control of large swaths of the north.

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Scoop News DeskIran · Published Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 9:19 AM UTCUpdated Friday, August 14, 2026 at 8:29 AM UTC

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The Yemeni Transport Ministry said in a statement that the vessel, Tihamah, had been carrying food supplies. The Houthi military confirmed that its forces had targeted a ship in the Bab al-Mandab Strait but said the vessel had been carrying “Saudi military equipment.” Attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea have coincided with a spike in violence in Yemen, with the Houthis carrying out missile and drone strikes on government-controlled cities.

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