Yemen's Houthis joined the ongoing Middle East conflict with missile strikes on southern Israel after a month of hostilities, seeking to tilt a battlefield that has drifted into stalemate while preserving flexibility for further escalation, an expert said.

Qin Tian, deputy director of the Middle East Institute at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said the Houthis' late entry and limited strike profile were deliberate, aimed at raising their relevance at a moment when neither the US and Israel nor Iran has been able to secure a decisive advantage.

US and Israeli military pressure has not produced a quick collapse of the Iranian leadership, while Tehran has also fallen short of forcing its adversaries to halt their campaign, Qin told China Media Group. In that context, he said, a new actor can help "shift the balance at the margins," adding pressure on the US and Israel and giving Iran's side a fresh boost in momentum.

He said the move also carries a diplomatic logic. As Washington and Tehran trade signals and try to build leverage around potential talks, the Houthis' action effectively strengthens Iran's hand. With the US reinforcing its regional presence to increase pressure, Tehran needs bargaining chips, and the Houthis' involvement provides one without requiring Iran itself to escalate directly, he added.

At the same time, the group's current actions remain measured, according to Qin. Firing missiles at Israel, he argued, is a relatively contained way to enter the conflict compared to other options that could have wider regional consequences.

He pointed to two avenues the Houthis have not fully activated. One is opening a southern front against Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, using missiles and drones in a way that could complement Iran's pressure from the north. The other is stepping up disruption of Red Sea shipping, which the group has targeted since late 2023 and which still has not returned to normal levels.

"The restraint we're seeing suggests they are not ready to fully commit yet," Qin said, adding that the Houthis appear to be calibrating their involvement based on how the conflict evolves. "If Iran's position weakens further, they still have room to escalate.”

Who are the Houthis?

The Houthis are a Zaydi Shiite movement from northern Yemen's Saada province. Zaydism is a branch of Shiism distinct from Iran's Twelver Shiism. The group began in the 1990s as a revivalist effort against marginalization and foreign influence in a Sunni-majority country.

They share ideological ties with Iran's "axis of resistance" and receive weapons, training and support from Tehran, though they often operate with greater autonomy than other Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

In 2014, the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led intervention in 2015. Direct hostilities between the two sides largely subsided after a UN-brokered truce in April 2022, which formally expired later that year but has largely been maintained despite occasional violations.

During the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023, the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and carried out strikes on Red Sea shipping, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. These actions disrupted global trade routes, prompting retaliatory US and UK airstrikes on Houthi targets.

The maritime campaign paused in phases through 2025, including a US-Houthi ceasefire in May 2025 brokered by Oman, though the group continued limited strikes on Israel until the Gaza ceasefire in October 2025.

In parallel, the Houthis engaged in reconciliation talks with Saudi Arabia, mediated by Oman and supported by the UN, focusing on economic measures, ceasefire formalization, and eventual political settlement. Progress remains slow amid mutual distrust, yet both sides have avoided major renewed hostilities.

The group had confined itself to threats and preparations during the ongoing hostilities before it launched strikes on Israel on Saturday. Houthi leaders have reportedly weighed the possibility of blocking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, as part of broader efforts to support Iran.

The Houthis have never fully closed the Bab al-Mandab Strait but have threatened to do so multiple times since 2015.