The Houthis are no longer just a domestic threat within Yemen. Through direct Iranian support, the group has built up missile and drone capabilities and developed sophisticated expertise. From seizing control of Sana’a, ports, and economic resources to advancing towards Bab al-Mandab and threatening Saudi Arabia and maritime navigation, the group now has the ability to threaten regional security and international shipping routes. Just as Tehran used Hezbollah to expand its influence in the Levant, it is now using the Houthis to give it leverage in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, adding to the pressure it already exerts in the Strait of Hormuz—waterways critical to global trade, particularly oil and gas shipments. The significance of their recent territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and the associated regional and global implications merit greater attention, which is why we chose the subject for this week’s cover story
