Houthi insurgency in Yemen

Houthi insurgency in Yemen
Conflict	Houthi insurgency in Yemen
Partof	the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present), the Arab Winter, and the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
Date	2004 – present
Place	Yemen
Result	Ongoing
Combatant1	Houthi movement, Supported by:, Iran, Hezbollah
Combatant2	Yemen (2004–2015), Saudi Arabia (2015–present), United Arab Emirates (2015–present), Supported by:, United States, United Kingdom, France
Commander1	Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Commander2	Ali Abdullah Saleh, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Mohammed bin Salman

Houthi insurgency in Yemen. The Houthi insurgency is an ongoing armed conflict initiated by the Zaydi revivalist Houthi movement against the Government of Yemen. Beginning in 2004 in Saada Governorate, the conflict has since escalated into a full-scale civil war drawing in regional powers. It is a central front in the broader geopolitical rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Background and origins

The roots of the insurgency lie in the political and religious marginalization of Zaydi communities in northern Yemen following the 1962 North Yemen Civil War and the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990. The Houthi movement, founded by Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, emerged in the 1990s as a revivalist group opposing the government of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the growing influence of Sunni Salafi ideology supported by Saudi Arabia. Tensions were exacerbated by Saleh's alliance with the United States after the September 11 attacks and his participation in the War on Terror, which the Houthis opposed. The group's slogan, which includes condemnation of the United States, Israel, and "the Jews," framed its ideological stance against perceived foreign domination.

Timeline of major events

The first major clash, the Battle of Sa'dah, occurred in 2004 after government forces attempted to arrest Hussein al-Houthi, resulting in his death. This sparked the Sa'dah War, a series of six distinct conflicts between 2004 and 2010 involving the Yemeni Army and Houthi fighters. A turning point came with the Yemeni Revolution of 2011–2012, part of the Arab Spring, which weakened Saleh's government. The Houthis capitalized on this instability, forming a tactical alliance with the ousted Saleh and his loyalists in the Republican Guard. In 2014, they captured the capital Sanaa in the Battle of Sanaa (2014), leading to the resignation of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Hadi's escape to Aden and subsequent recapture of the city by Houthi forces in 2015 prompted the military intervention of a Saudi-led coalition, including the United Arab Emirates, marking a dramatic escalation. Key subsequent battles include the Battle of Aden (2015), the Siege of Taiz, and the Battle of Al Hudaydah.

Military and political objectives

The Houthi movement's core objective is to establish political control over Yemen and restore Zaydi influence, rejecting what it views as a corrupt and externally controlled government in Sanaa. Militarily, the group aims to defend its northern heartland of Saada Governorate and expand its territorial control, having captured much of western Yemen. A significant aspect of their campaign involves using ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks, often targeting Saudi Arabia and its infrastructure like Abqaiq and Khurais, to pressure the coalition. Their political rhetoric consistently frames the conflict as a war of national liberation against foreign aggression, primarily from Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Regional and international involvement

The conflict is a primary proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iran provides the Houthis with political support, military training, and advanced weaponry, including Qasef-1 drones and Burkan missiles. In response, Saudi Arabia leads a coalition including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, conducting extensive airstrikes and a naval blockade. The United States provides logistical, intelligence, and arms support to the coalition, while the United Kingdom and France are major arms suppliers to Riyadh. Regional actors like the United Arab Emirates have also pursued independent ground campaigns, notably against Al-Islah and Southern Transitional Council factions, complicating the battlefield.

Humanitarian impact and war crimes

The war has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing famine due to the coalition's blockade of Al Hudaydah, a critical port. Widespread cholera outbreaks have devastated the population. All parties have been accused of severe violations of international humanitarian law. The Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes have repeatedly hit civilian sites, including a funeral hall and a bus of children. Houthi forces have been implicated in indiscriminate shelling, use of land mines, and persecution of minorities like the Yemeni Jews. The United Nations and groups like Amnesty International have documented these potential war crimes.

Attempts at peace and current status

Numerous peace efforts have been attempted, primarily led by the United Nations. The 2015 Geneva consultations and the Kuwait peace talks in 2016 failed to yield a lasting agreement. A critical breakthrough was the Stockholm Agreement in 2018, which focused on Al Hudaydah and led to the deployment of the United Nations Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement. In 2022, a UN-mediated truce provided a period of reduced violence. However, the conflict remains deadlocked, with the Houthis controlling Sanaa and much of the north, and the internationally recognized government based in Aden. Sporadic cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue, and the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic with no comprehensive political settlement in sight.

Category:Wars involving Yemen Category:Conflicts in 2004 Category:21st century in Yemen