Houthi Movement

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Context (TH): Attacks on commercial ships were carried out by Houthi militants from Yemen in the Red Sea as the spillover of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Background

Its origin is traced to “Believing Youth”, a Zaydi revivalist group — a part of the Shia sect of Islam, involving them in the Shia-Sunni conflict.
It was a powerful sect within Yemen, establishing an imamate in the 16^th century and resisting Ottoman influence in the 17^th century.
The dominance of Zaydis declined in the 19^th century due to the fall of the monarchy in Egypt and the rise of Wahhabism.
The Houthi movement was founded to reassert the Zaydi influence in the early 1990s.
It was inspired by the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the rise of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

From religious and social concerns, the movement turned political against the Saleh government’s perceived corruption and Western influence.
After the Iraq war, Houthis adopted a new slogan, “Death to America, death to Israel, curse upon the Jews, victory to Islam”.
A government crackdown in 2004 backfired, strengthening the Houthi movement.
By January 2015, the Houthis captured the capital, Sana’a and much of northern Yemen, triggering Saudi military intervention.
Accusations of Iranian support persist, with both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia pointing fingers at Iran.

Operation Rahat: India launched a massive air and sea operation to evacuate over 4000 Indian nationals from Yemen in April 2015.

It is undergoing a humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its population dependent on aid and protection.
Since 2015, over three million people have been displaced.

There is a ceasefire in Yemen, with Saudi Arabia in talks with Houthis and Iran to de-escalate the issue.
Houthis declared war against Israel during the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, targeting vessels passing through the Red Sea.