The Houthi rebels have long been supported by Iran and criticized by Saudi Arabia. The Shi’ite group lives in the mountains of northern Yemen and has controlled the capital Sanaa and much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast since 2014.
Key background: Saudi Arabia launched a major offensive against the militants in 2015, and the ensuing seven-year conflict has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The Houthis survived with support from Iran and other pro-Iranian groups, including Hezbollah, and launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which supported the U.N.-recognized government they had ousted from Sanaa.
In 2023, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles at Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, disrupting Red Sea shipping. This led to a U.S. attack in early 2025, reducing U.S. capabilities. However, they remained defiant and almost enjoyed the role of resistance.
The Trump administration’s determination to eradicate the threat posed by the Houthis has been unsuccessful. Analysts say that ultimately only a ground offensive involving tens of thousands of troops is likely to be able to remove them.
Latest developments: The Houthis have managed to survive a long blockade by Saudi Arabia, and last week threatened to launch an operation against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea unless the blockade was lifted.
They then claimed to have collided with two Saudi tankers. Saudi Arabia acknowledged that at least one ship was attacked and that it retaliated with an airstrike on Hodeidah, the main port under Houthi control.
Who are the Houthis and how are they competing for power in the war between Iran and the US?
Oil prices soared above $100 a barrel for the first time since May after Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted Saudi ships in the Red Sea, threatening to cut off another route for oil exports already blocked by a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. CNN’s Nick Robertson explains who the Iranian-backed rebels are.
The big picture: The Red Sea is becoming increasingly important as a route for exporting Saudi oil, an additional feedstock in flammable situations, and analysts see a real risk of uncontrolled retaliation as each side now targets the other.
By firing ballistic missiles into two Saudi provinces early Saturday, the Houthis “resisted their recent restraint in targeting strategic infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia,” said analyst Mohamed Basha. “This also signals an expansion of targeting to include critical energy infrastructure and maritime assets.”
The southern city of Jizan, which the Houthis announced they targeted in Saturday’s attack, is a key container port for Saudi Arabia and an important hub for energy products and power generation. Protecting Jizan from periodic attacks by the Houthis has been the main motivation for diplomatic efforts so far.
CNN’s Nick Robertson contributed to this report.
