Ansar Allah (Houthis)

Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthis, emerged in the 1990s as a movement for Shiite-Zaydi awakening in northern Yemen. It became a military force during the 2004 uprising against the Yemeni government, which arose due to social, political, and economic grievances. Since then, the Houthis have developed into a major rebel group fighting both internal enemies and the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015. The Houthis frame their struggle as defending Yemen's sovereignty and Zaydi identity, presenting it as resistance to Saudi and Western influence in the region. The movement espouses an extreme anti-Western stance, with its central slogan being "Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam." Militarily, the Houthis have adopted guerrilla tactics, becoming a coordinated fighting force. They conduct cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and have launched ballistic missiles and drones at strategic targets in the Arabian Peninsula and Israel. Additionally, they carry out naval operations in the Red Sea, targeting international shipping routes to pressure Israel and its allies. While these activities relate to broader regional conflicts, they reflect the Houthis' ambitions to control Yemen and influence regional geopolitics. Iran provides the Houthis with military and logistical support, including advanced weaponry and training.