Reports on Saturday indicate that the Houthis might increase their attacks if the US joins Israel’s war on Iran. The Yemen-based terrorist group has refrained from recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea since a US bombing campaign against the Houthis ended last month.
US President Donald Trump chose to end the attacks after several weeks when the group appeared to agree to end their attacks on shipping, although not against Israel itself.
The US had intervened against the Houthis when they began attacking ships following the Hamas October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. They claimed they were targeting ships linked to Israel initially, but extended the attacks to include numerous other commercial ships. Although the Houthi attacks had been opposed by a group of Western countries starting in November and December 2023, this had failed to deter them.
The Houthis then expanded their campaign to include frequent ballistic missile attacks on Israel, as well as drone attacks. Israel retaliated several times in 2024.
Houthis use attacks on Iran to gather their forces in Yemen
In 2025, the terrorist group paused attacks during the Gaza ceasefire. They had claimed to be backing Hamas, so they chose to join the ceasefire. When the ceasefire ended on March 1, the Houthis began attacks again. The US began its new round of intervention on March 15.
This was a test for the Trump administration. When the administration felt it had gotten what it wanted, the US stopped the attacks. The Houthis continued their ballistic missile attacks on Israel throughout May and up until June 13, when Israel struck Iran. Now, they appear to have used the attack on Iran to gather their forces and collect themselves.
However, the US threats to intervene against Iran have apparently led the Houthis to reconsider their stance. They could try to wreak havoc on shipping, and Iran could do the same in the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis could attack ships entering or leaving the Red Sea at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which would potentially harm the world’s energy supplies. This is one of Tehran's last cards.
Nevertheless, Iran might be worried about this course of action because it would anger the Gulf. The Islamic Republic enjoys amicable relations with Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar. It has also worked to patch things up with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Any attacks on shipping would harm Egypt due to its reliance on the Suez Canal, and it would anger the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis and Iran will need to weigh this amid recent tensions.