US Agency: Houthis in Yemen seek to achieve gains from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East

The Houthis see the solidarity among Yemenis with the Palestinians as a useful tool for recruiting new fighters and strengthening their ranks, according to Naji.

Last June, the Houthis unveiled a new solid-fuel missile in their arsenal that closely resembles aspects of an earlier missile displayed by Iran, which Tehran described as flying at supersonic speeds.

What could happen in the future?

The scale of the Houthis' actions has come as a surprise to some, largely because of their limited resources and Yemen's costly civil war.

Ahmed Naji described their strategy as a “gradual escalation” toward Israel. As their influence grows, he added, the Houthis—who have relied for years on portable rocket launchers and hit-and-run tactics—are likely to be eager to get their hands on more advanced weapons.

The Houthis initially targeted ships they claimed were linked to Israel, then expanded their campaign to include all commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They used small boats, short-range missiles and drones to carry out the attacks.

Their campaign prompted a response from the US-led coalition, which in February launched strikes on “sites associated with the Houthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems and radars,” according to US defense officials.

According to Fawzi Al-Joud, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, the rebels are unlikely to be deterred anytime soon, and may also target ships further afield in the Indian Ocean.

Al-Joud added that they may also seek to "partner with other militias to build an alliance that would threaten security in the region."

In a report released in September, the New York-based Soufan Center for Research said the Houthis were working to increase “operational independence” and diversify their alliances away from Iran by cooperating with Russia, pointing to alleged plans for Russian arms shipments to the Houthis that failed.

The Houthis may also seek to exploit their newfound standing after the strikes against Israel in any potential negotiations with Saudi Arabia over a resolution to Yemen’s civil war.

Source: Associated Press