World · 1 March 2026
Houthis return to Red Sea, imperiling 15% of global trade.
Olik Mari via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Houthis (Ansar Allah — "Partisans of God") are an Iran-backed Zaidi Shia militia controlling northern Yemen including the capital Sana'a. Armed with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and long-range drones capable of striking over 1,000 miles away, they have attacked over 100 ships in the Red Sea since 2023. Now, following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, they have signalled a full return to maritime warfare — threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint carrying 12–15% of all global trade.
Reported by gCaptain / Security Council Report · How we write briefs