After mostly sitting out the campaign that was launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al Houthi reiterated the Yemeni terrorist group’s support for Iran in an April 21 speech. Houthi also maintained a focus on Israel and the US, saying, “We are confronting the Israeli-Zionist enemy and its American partner. Our direction is toward escalation if the enemy escalates and returns to escalation anew.” The Houthis briefly joined the recent conflict on March 28, a month after the war began, by launching a handful of drones and missiles at Israel, all of which were intercepted.
The Houthis’ limited entry into the conflict did not provoke a strong response from the United States or Israel, each of which conducted substantial airstrikes against the Yemeni group in 2025. However, an unclaimed drone strike targeted a Houthi military site in a mountainous area roughly 50 miles from the Gulf of Aden on April 19. The site was reportedly used to store weapons and launch drone and missile attacks at ships in the Red Sea. Local media reported that the drone was American, but its origin has not been confirmed.
Despite choosing not to target commercial shipping during the recent conflict, the Houthis are reportedly considering implementing a toll on vessels transiting the Red Sea, according to Lloyd’s List. This potential development comes as Iran is implementing a similar toll for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, where payments for safe passage may be as high as $2 million per ship. In October 2024, the United Nations Panel of Experts report on Yemen said that the Houthis were earning roughly $180 million per month in “illegal transit fees for safe maritime passage,” which would add up to over $2 billion a year. However, the Houthis denied charging these fees.
The Houthis have continued to organize regular rallies in support of the group and to express “full support for the ‘Unity of the Arenas’ equation and solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Iraqi resistance,” according to statements from numerous rallies on April 24. The Houthis have a history of compelling citizens to attend mobilization events and other activities intended to portray unity and support for the group and its causes.
Ongoing UN efforts in Yemen
On April 19-20, United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg hosted meetings in Amman, Jordan, with representatives from the Houthis and from Riyadh under the Military Coordination Committee (MCC). The MCC includes representatives from the Houthis, the Yemeni government, and the Saudi-led coalition to support the UN-led peace process in Yemen.
The UN is also engaged in attempts to secure the release of its staff who have been illegally detained by the Houthis. When briefing the UN Security Council on the situation in Yemen on April 14, Grundberg said, “Of our 73 United Nations colleagues detained, several have been held incommunicado throughout the duration of their detention, while others have been allowed irregular contact with their families.”
Houthi kidnappings and harassment of UN personnel forced UN programs to progressively shutter operations in territory controlled by the terrorist group throughout 2025 and 2026.
Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis.
Tags: houthis, Iran, Israel Iran, Military Coordination Committee, Red Sea, US-Iran, Yemen
