The confrontation between the Houthis and international powers is becoming the focus of global attention. Recently, due to frequent attacks by the Houthis, a number of international shipping giants have suspended navigation in the Red Sea, and the United States, together with Britain, France, and Italy, has formed a maritime alliance to deter them. Against this backdrop, Yemen's Houthi senior ** Ali Houthi has made fiery statements threatening any country and ship that attacks him. He also singled out China's failure to participate in the maritime coalition, demonstrating the Houthis' hardline stance and confidence in their own strength. This has led to a re-examination of the Houthis and the discovery that they are not the "slipper army" as traditionally imagined, but a mysterious force full of combat effectiveness and organizational skills. The Houthis, originally known as Young Believers, were founded by Hussein Houthi, a member of the Houthi family, a branch of Shia Zayed. In Yemen, a Muslim country of many tribes, Hussein Houthi grew stronger and cooperated with Yemen** Saleh in the fight against Sunni Muslims.
However, due to his radical views, he eventually fell into disagreement with the Saleh moderates. In 2004, he changed his name to the Houthis and staged a coup d'état in 2014 to capture the capital and other important cities, a move that was not recognized by the international community. In 2015, the Saudi-led multinational coalition launched a prolonged airstrike and blockade against the Houthis, but the results were ineffective, and the Houthis instead took the opportunity to expand their sphere of influence, eventually forcing the Saudi coalition to cease fire in 2022. The fighting prowess of the Houthis is surprising, not only against the Saudi coalition, but also in launching missile attacks on Israel, even threatening Israel's economic security. The United States formed an escort fleet for this purpose with the possibility of military action. The Houthis have demonstrated remarkable combat capabilities in the Yemen conflict, shooting down large numbers of Saudi military aircraft and drones, destroying military vehicles, and even successfully sinking Saudi coalition forces**.
They claim to have 800,000 men and control significant territory in northern and western Yemen, with ample reserves and mountainous terrain, making any ground invasion of them difficult to resist. In addition, new developments in the Middle East and the global situation have provided support to the Houthis. Saudi Arabia and Iran have achieved a historic rapprochement under the leadership of China, which has led to a setback of US influence in the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia's failure to participate in the US escort fleet is a further proof of this. This makes it impossible for the United States to send troops from Saudi Arabia, to solve the Houthi problem, or even to block Iranian support for the Houthis. At the same time, the Russian army has regained the initiative on the battlefield in Ukraine, and the Israeli army has suffered setbacks on the battlefield in Gaza, making it difficult for the United States to deal with the Houthis with all its might. These changes have undoubtedly challenged the hegemony of the United States. Overall, the rise of the Houthis and their performance against international power have led to a new understanding of this mysterious force.
Their combat effectiveness and organizational skills are far beyond people's imagination, and for the international community, how to properly handle relations with them has become a question worth pondering.