This military rebel group could join the Iran war next against the U.S.
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People gather to protest the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 6. Photo: Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu via Getty Images
The U.S. and Israel could soon find themselves a new enemy in the Iran war — the Houthis.
Why it matters: The Houthis involvement in the Iran war could potentially disrupt shipping lanes in a major way and threaten President Trump's military campaign in the Gulf.
State of play: Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday vowed retaliation against Israel and the U.S. for its campaign against Iran, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.
- He also thanked Hezbollah in Lebanon, the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen for their support, suggesting the Houthis could be next to join the war.
- The Houthis warned earlier this week that their "fingers are on the trigger."
Here's what to know about the Houthis.
Who are the Houthis?
The Houthis are a military and political group that is considered to be within the Iranian-led "Axis of Resistance" — which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
- The Houthis rose to prominence in the '90s as a religious movement aligned with Zaydism, which is a branch of Shia Islam followed by roughly one-third of Yemen's population.
- The rebels gained widespread international attention when they overthrew the Saudi-backed Yemen government in 2014 after years of conflict.
Friction point: The Houthis have historically opposed U.S. and Israeli influence in the Middle East.
How the U.S. views the Houthis
President Trump designated the Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist organization at the beginning of his second term.
- This was a reversal of a Biden-era decision to remove the designation over concerns of how humanitarian organizations would deliver aid to Yemen.
Flashback: The U.S. and the Houthis have had an uneven relationship in recent years, with the military under Trump targeting the group with airstrikes in Yemen last year.
- The attacks — which were later at the center of the Signalgate scandal — happened after the Houthis downed a U.S. military drone.
- Trump vowed at the time to "completely annihilate" the group and only stopped because the Houthis said they would halt their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
- Trump also said Iran would be held responsible for any retaliation.
The intrigue: The U.S. and the Houthis reportedly agreed to a ceasefire in May 2025, with Trump halting the attacks.
Conflicts between Israel and Houthis
The Houthis have vowed to destroy Israel, previously launching hundreds of missiles and drones against it.
- The group attacked Israeli ships in the Red Sea until October 2025, when they suspended their attacks as the Gaza ceasefire was announced.
- Israel has retaliated numerous times against the Houthis, including strikes targeting Houthi military and political leaders.
Houthis and the Iran war
Attacks by the Houthis in the Iran war could create more chaos in the Gulf, writes Allison Minor, director of the Project for Middle East Integration with the Atlantic Council, an American think tank.
- The Houthis could attack Israeli, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Minor suggests. And start another war with Yemen.
What we're watching: The Red Sea.
- The Houthis previously immobilized commercial ships in the Red Sea — one of the world's biggest commercial shipping lanes — in 2024 with retaliatory strikes following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
- Any new actions by the group could threaten shipping in the region again.
- The near halt at the Strait of Hormuz, which has already caused widespread disruption in the area, combined with the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, would dramatically escalate the international shipping crisis, especially concerning exports of oil and liquified natural gas in the region.
Go deeper: 9 countries that could get involved next in the Iran war
