(Institute for the Study of War)
The Houthis have entered the Iran war but have not joined Iran’s regional economic warfare campaign, indicating a restrained approach that aims to avoid international blowback. The Houthis have threatened to join Iran’s campaign with attacks across the region, likely to coerce the United States and its allies into making concessions in negotiations with Iran and deter further military escalation against Iran and the wider Axis of Resistance. The Houthis are unlikely to follow through on these threats unless the United States and its allies cross certain Houthi or Iranian red lines, such as the Gulf states entering the war or ground operations against Iran, to avoid retaliation from the United States and its allies that would jeopardize the group’s domestic position.
