Yemen’s Houthis have continued their campaign against Israel, but now in coordination with and support of Iran. Other Iranian proxies within the Tehran-led Axis of Resistance have chosen not to involve themselves in the conflict openly and directly, so far. Israel carried out a targeted strike in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks.

Yemeni President Rashad al Alimi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held the first presidential-level meeting between the two countries in recent years. The heads of state discussed bilateral relationships and regional security, but the visit was clouded by Russia’s ongoing friendliness with the Houthis.

The Houthis have started rebuilding efforts after significant US and Israeli airstrikes. The terrorist group is extorting the citizens of northern Yemen to fund the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

The US and the Houthis entered a ceasefire brokered by Oman on May 6 in which each side agreed not to target the other. However, American and Houthi leaders have made contradictory statements about the circumstances of the ceasefire, each trying to portray it as a sign of the other’s weakness. Israel is not part of the agreement.

On May 5, the Israeli military launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, including the Hudaydah port and a cement factory used for military infrastructure, in response to a ballistic missile attack that injured six people near Ben Gurion Airport. The strikes come amid escalating Houthi attacks on Israeli territory and maritime vessels, as well as ongoing US-led operations targeting Houthi military assets across Yemen.

The Houthis have responded to the large-scale operation conducted by US forces with largely unsuccessful attacks against the US Navy and Israel. The group has also issued sanctions against American companies and ordered a boycott of US and Israeli products.

Reports are emerging across Yemeni and global media of an impending ground offensive against the Houthis by a conglomeration of anti-Houthi forces. These potential plans center on the west coast of Yemen, an economic center for the terrorist group.

Numerous reports have alleged the deaths of Houthi fighters of various military ranks since the Trump administration ramped up military operations in Yemen. However, while some of these claims appear credible, others require further verification.

Iran has reportedly ordered its military personnel to leave Yemen amidst the growing US bombing campaign. The move reflects a broader pattern of the Islamic Republic recalibrating its regional strategy in response to the Trump administration’s moves to curtail Tehran’s influence in the Middle East and threats to potentially strike Iran’s nuclear sites.

The Houthis detained at least 75 civilians over concerns that they are providing support to the ongoing US airstrike campaign in Yemen. The Houthis regularly conduct arbitrary detentions, but the total marks a rapid increase since the onset of US strikes.

In the almost two weeks since the US began its large-scale operation against the Houthis, airstrikes have rocked Houthi-controlled northern Yemen. While the Yemeni terrorist group is trying to control information released about the damage, various sources have identified key governorates and important infrastructure hit by US strikes.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi traveled to Houthi-controlled Sanaa in Yemen on March 20, according to reports in Iranian and Yemeni media. His visit occurred as the US continued its campaign of airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis. Sources Abdul-Mahdi was in Yemen to attend a conference in support of Palestinians, but other reports speculated that his visit may be linked to the US conflict with the Houthis and Iran’s historic backing of the group.

The strikes against the Houthis, who have targeted international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, are the first military actions taken against the Iranian-backed militia by the Trump administration since it took office. The US re-added the Iranian-backed militia to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations 10 days ago.

Following the Houthis’ cessation of Red Sea attacks in January 2025, the group has engaged in more military activity against Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Houthi attacks in front-line provinces have reached levels not seen since before October 2023.

The Trump Administration returned the Houthis to the FTO list after President Donald Trump issued an executive order targeting the group on the second day of his term. The US Treasury followed the FTO designation with a round of sanctions against senior Houthi operatives involved in financing, weapons procurement, and cooperation with the terrorist group’s partners.

Lebanon seized $2.5 million in cash destined for Hezbollah carried by a man arriving from Turkey. This development follows Israeli accusations that Turkey is being used as a conduit for Iranian funds to reach Hezbollah and may be facilitating the transfers.

The Biden administration removed the Houthis from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2021 and didn’t re-list the group despite over 15 months of missile and drone attacks on US naval forces, international shipping, and Israel. The Trump administration ordered re-listing the Houthis after two days in office.

Iraq’s Shia militias play a unique part in Iran’s Axis of Resistance and present distinct challenges for the US, Israel, and the Iraqi state. Notably, a more direct conflict between the militias and the US and Israel would imperil the Iraqi government’s ability to balance its relationships with Iran and the US, along with the country’s essential stability.

The Tehran regime faces significant challenges, including the diminished influence of its regional proxies and the potential for an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities. In response, the Islamic Republic has devised a three-pronged strategy: bolstering morale through propaganda, conducting extensive military drills as a deterrent, and amplifying support for its remaining proxies.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released the names of six soldiers from the 51st Battalion of the Golani Infantry Brigade who were killed in southern Lebanon on November 13. The same battalion suffered heavy losses during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah carried out attacks targeting central Israel on November 13, and Israel intercepted drones aimed at southern Israel on November 12 and 13. In addition, the Israeli Navy targeted a Hezbollah naval site.

Israel commemorated the anniversary of the October 7 massacre as Hamas fired more than 135 rockets at southern and central Israel, Iraqi militias targeted Israel with drones, and the Houthis launched a long-range missile at central Israel. The IDF’s top general met with the head of US Central Command on October 6. A third IDF division began operations in Lebanon as the Israeli Air Force hit 120 Hezbollah targets.

The Houthis in Yemen have an extensive leadership hierarchy. FDD’s Long War Journal lists some of the leaders of the organization, their roles, and if they have been sanctioned by the United States government.

The IDF carried out airstrikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Hudaydah using dozens of aircraft. An Israeli missile ship intercepted a UAV launched at Israel, and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq took credit for the attack. Israeli forces in Gaza uncovered a tunnel. Hezbollah carried out numerous rocket attacks on Israel on September 29, and the IDF continued strikes on the terrorist group. The IDF confirmed that more than 20 Hezbollah members were eliminated in the September 27 strike which killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

Was the international community culpably naive in failing to give unqualified backing to Yemen’s internationally recognized government (IRG)? And was this largely because of a knee-jerk hostility to the Saudis that is so common in Western progressive circles? If the Houthis genuinely pose a chronic threat to the Rules-Based International System and intend to hold freedom of navigation in the Red Sea hostage to any and every tactical interest they choose to pursue, will it become inevitable to try to revive and empower the Saudi-IRG coalition to suppress them?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant met with Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden. Both indicated that Israel was nearing a decision to act with more military force against Hezbollah after 11 months of attacks that have forced 60,000 Israelis to evacuate from their homes. Hezbollah continued to carry out attacks on September 16, targeting numerous areas in northern Israel.
