Houthis: The militiamen who've been stepping up their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea

Since October 2023, Houthi rebels have harassed and attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, resulting in repeated UK and US air strikes being launched against them in Yemen.

The Iranian-backed group has been responsible for launching both aerial and sea drone attacks against shipping in the region - provoking repeated counterattacks by coalition forces.

The Houthis had been warned to cease their attacks on warships and commercial shipping - a warning they ignored - so Forces News has taken a look at the militia group and why it has stepped up its drone and missile attacks.

• Royal Air Force and US attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen: What we know so far
• What weapons did the UK and US use in their strikes against the Houthis?
• More than 60 Houthi rebel targets hit in series of joint RAF-US air strikes in Yemen

The Houthis, officially known as'Supporters of God, or Ansar Allah in Arabic, emerged in opposition to Saudi Arabia's religious influence in Yemen.

They took part in the 2011 Yemeni revolution and rose to prominence after capturing the capital Sanaa in 2014, sparking a civil war.

Based in western Yemen, most of the population is now under Houthi control.

Following the 7 October attack on Israel, the Houthis declared their support for Hamas in the war in Gaza, fuelled by a hatred of Israel and the West.

Aligned to Iran, the militia group, which has an estimated 20,000 fighters, wants to reduce Western influence in the Middle East.

The group's control of Yemen's Red Sea coastline allows it to conduct illegal attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea en route to the Suez Canal, the world's busiest shipping route.

Importantly, the Houthis control the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a 16-mile stretch of water that marks the entrance to the Red Sea - and it is this area where most of the Houthi attacks have been taking place.

Commercial shipping routes through the Red Sea can require weeks of travel, and the passage from Africa can be dangerous due to the presence of groups like the Houthis.

As well as unmanned surface vessels, the Houthis are known to possess radar systems which have been labelled threats to coalition forces and merchant ships.

In the region, the US, UK and French warships have resorted to using advanced $2m missiles to destroy Iranian attack drones worth an estimated $20,000.

With significant backing from Iran and access to drones and aerial projectiles, the Houthis have proven to be a threat to Western interests in the region.

The Houthis are also in possession of anti-ship ballistic missiles, which can be fired from Yemen against targets in the Red Sea.

Since January 2024, the Royal Air Force has worked with the US Air Force to combat the Houthis, striking hundreds of targets located in Yemen.

In May, the UK identified and attacked several Houthi facilities believed to be being used to strike against commercial shipping, with RAF Typhoon FGR4s using £30,000 Paveway IV bombs to destroy all their targets.

This was the fifth time a combined US and UK air strike was carried out against the Houthis up to that point.

Despite the overwhelming air power of the West, the Houthis have continued to strike, and have even engaged Royal Navy vessels, leading HMS Diamond to have the first military engagement in 30 years.

In April this year, Diamond shot down a combat drone which marked the first combat interception of this type since the Gulf War.

The French navy has also taken action against the Houthi rebels, and in March this year released footage of a drone being skillully shot down by an AS565 Panther helicopter.

In July, a Greek Navy's Hydra-class frigate HS Psara thwarted a Houthi attack on a cargo vessel when it was set upon by four drones, resulting in two being shot down and two more being veered away.

However, regardless of the repeated airstrikes against them, the rebel operations have persisted.