Who are the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels threatening a key maritime passage?

Who are the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels threatening a Red Sea passage? - The Washington Post

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Who are the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels threatening a key maritime passage?

The group has made sweeping gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast after conducting a large-scale military operation aimed at controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

September 15, 2026 at 11:47 a.m. EDT

Today at 11:47 a.m. EDT

5 min

*Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi delivers a speech to supporters in Sanaa, Yemen, on Aug. 25. (Osamah Abdulrahman/AP)*

By

Sammy Westfall

and

Dylan Moriarty

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have made sweeping gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast after conducting a large-scale military operation aimed at controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Because of these new territorial claims, Iran and its Houthi proxies can now threaten, if not entirely block, oil and other shipments through two key maritime chokepoints, Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.

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What readers are saying

The comments reflect a range of opinions on the situation in Yemen and the role of various international actors. Some commenters argue that the Houthis are the de facto government in Yemen, controlling the majority of the population, while others blame them for the country's... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

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