The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, targeting its key military and naval forces and killing some of the country’s top officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Following Khamenei’s death, the Middle East was thrown into a wider and renewed military confrontation after Iran launched attacks on US bases in the Persian Gulf countries. However, amid the ongoing tensions, the one country that has remained surprisingly quiet is Yemen.
According to an Al Jazeera report, the Houthis, Iran’s de facto allied body in northwestern Yemen, have limited their support for Tehran to rhetoric and mass protest condemning the strikes. The same group has carried out repeated attacks on US and Israeli targets since the start of the 2023 Israel-Gaza war.
Houthis unlikely to be involved in US-Israeli-Iranian war?
The report suggests that while it is uncertain whether the Houthis will remain detached from the conflict, analysts say the rebel group’s involvement is still likely, with the current restraint appearing to be part of a strategy of patience.
The Houthis could still enter the conflict, potentially through a gradual escalation of their involvement, says Luca Nevola, senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf at conflict monitor ACLED. At this stage, he said, the group’s main priority appears to be avoiding direct retaliation by the US or Israel.
The analyst went on to say that the Houthis are likely to resume attacks if they are directly drawn into the conflict, either through US or Israeli strikes, or through a renewed domestic advance by anti-Houthi forces in Yemen.
The Houthis provide support to Iran
Earlier this week, Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi said Yemen was clearly behind Iran and the Muslim Iranian people. He also warned that the group is prepared for a possible military escalation and indicated that its involvement in the conflict could happen at any time depending on the development of the situation.
According to a Yemeni political commentator, the Houthis will go to war if Tehran asks them to. In an interview with Al Jazeera, the commentator added that Tehran does not want to use all its cards at once and wants to save the group for the upcoming phase.
Israeli strikes killed several Houthi officials in 2025
In August 2025, Israeli strikes killed up to 12 senior Houthi government officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and Chief of General Staff Mohammed al-Ghumari, in airstrikes in Sana’a. The casualties were among the heaviest the group suffered during its confrontation with the US and Israel. The incident, along with several other attacks carried out last year, made the Houthis more cautious about risking a heavy air campaign on areas under their control.
