who are the houthis in yemen

The Houthis in Yemen are also known as Ansar Allah , a Zaydi Shia political and armed movement that emerged in the 1990s and became one of the main power centers in Yemen after taking control of Sana’a in 2014. They are led by the al-Houthi family, and their current leader is Abdul Malik al- Houthi.

Who they are

• A Yemeni movement rooted in the Zaydi Shia community in northern Yemen.

• A political and military organization, not just a militia.

• They govern large parts of northern and western Yemen de facto, including Sana’a.

Why they matter

• They helped trigger Yemen’s long civil war by rebelling against the government and expanding militarily in 2014.

• They have fought a Saudi-led coalition and have been tied to Iran-backed regional politics, though analysts caution against treating them as only a proxy.

• In recent years, they have drawn international attention for missile and drone attacks tied to the wider Middle East conflict and Red Sea shipping threats.

In plain English

If you hear “the Houthis,” think of a Yemen-based armed movement that became a ruling force in much of the country’s north, has been central to Yemen’s war, and is now a major regional security concern.

Current context

Recent reporting in late March 2026 says the Houthis have again launched missile attacks connected to the wider Middle East conflict, underscoring that they remain an active military actor in the region.