Russia’s New Ally, the Houthis, Enter the War Against the US and Israel. How Is Moscow Helping Them?

Backed by Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and Russia, the Houthis launched a missile attack on Israel on March 28, claiming to have hit “sensitive military targets” and vowing to continue until fighting across the region ends. Experts warn that this “marks a serious and deeply concerning escalation,” as the attack draws the Houthis deeper into the Iran war.

As Western policymakers looked elsewhere, the Houthis quietly evolved into a strategic force empowered to execute operations with severe global consequences.

Atlantic Council

At the same time, Iran has attempted to restrict freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global trade. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is sharing its maritime drone expertise with Arab partners to help unblock the Strait. 

Attention is now shifting to the Bab al-Mandab Strait—another critical chokepoint under Houthi control. Analysts say this reflects Iran’s broader strategy of activating allied groups across the region. Backed by Iran and with growing ties to Russia, the Houthis have emerged as a regional military force and a direct threat to one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors.

Who are the Houthis?

Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis, is a militant group from Yemen, controlling much of the country’s northwest since seizing the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The group emerged from Yemen’s civil war, which by the end of 2021 had caused an estimated 377,000 deaths and forced around 4 million people from their homes. 

The Houthis represent the Zaidi sect of Shia Islam and have around 20,000 fighters. As part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” the Houthis have increasingly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea, a key global trade route.

From November 2023 to early 2025, they launched nearly 200 attacks on commercial vessels, including missile, drone, boat, and even helicopter assaults, forcing companies to reroute ships. They also fired missiles at Israel, claiming to be in solidarity with Palestinians striking UK and US warships, prompting Western military responses to protect shipping.

Three Ukrainian sailors from the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader were captured by Houthis in the Red Sea in November 2023. Over a year of unofficial negotiations led to initial contact in April 2024, culminating in their release and reunion with family in January 2025.

Russia’s alliance with the Houthis

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Houthis have been bolstering their military capabilities through a calculated alliance with Moscow. As Russia and Iran deepen ties, they are turning to proxy groups like the Houthis to destabilize the global order and challenge Western influence.

Behind the scenes, Moscow and Tehran have transformed the Houthis “from mere terrorists into something more contemptible: traffickers in human misery, directly serving Russian military interests,” the Atlantic Council said.

Weapons and grain procurement

Iranian intelligence operatives used Russian animation studios as cover to traffic arms and export stolen Ukrainian grain, investigations in March 2026 revealed. Working through companies producing children’s content for platforms like Netflix and Apple TV, Sky Frame Studio head Sohrab Ghayrat procured Russian weapons for Yemen’s Houthis and organized shipments of grain taken from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

Russia’s Viktor Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death,” spent decades fueling global conflicts with Soviet-made weapons, making him one of the world's most prolific international arms dealers and known as “one of the most dangerous men on the face of the Earth.” 

In August 2024, Houthi representatives traveled to Moscow under the cover of buying pesticides and vehicles, and visiting a Lada factory. Instead, they went to Moscow to negotiate the purchase of $10 million worth of automatic weapons through Bout. 

Shadow fleet shipments

Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service uncovered evidence tying Russia’s shadow fleet to support Houthi operations. The oil tanker named MAISAN has repeatedly delivered Russian oil to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa. At least two other tankers named PALM, and NOBEL M have reportedly made repeated trips from Russian ports Vysotsk and Tuapse to Yemen.

Recruited for Russia’s war

Since Yemen’s war began in 2015, UN reports estimate over 250,000 deaths, widespread poverty affecting 80% of the population, and thousands fleeing the country. Many who crossed into Oman seeking safety were instead trapped in a human smuggling scheme run by Houthi operative Abdulwali Abdoh Hasan Al-Jabri, who promised jobs and Russian citizenship through his company, Al-Jabri General Trading and Investment Co. Others involved in the scheme organized stolen grain shipments from Crimea and orchestrated weapons shipments.

Ghanam Yahya, a Yemeni soldier sent to the Russian front in Ukraine, shot himself in November 2024 in protest against the mistreatment he faced by the Russian army. He is thought to be one of several Yemenis to shoot themselves.

We die a thousand times a day from the terror we endure at the hands of the Russians…save your Yemeni brothers…we are being forced to fight…our friends are dead…we are trapped between life and death.

Unnamed Yemeni recruit

Others, facing war at home were promised jobs in Russia, working at restaurants or farms, instead, were sent to the frontline. Ali Alsabahi, founder of the International Federation of Yemeni Migrants told the Guardian reporters that he estimates 400 Yemenis to be lured into recruitment. Alsabahi says that more than 24 are known to have been killed, and others are missing. 

The Houthis have evolved from a regional insurgent group into a Moscow-backed force reshaping the Red Sea and Middle Eastern conflict, threatening global shipping lanes and underscoring how Russia can exploit proxy wars to advance its geopolitical ambitions.

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