As Israel threatens to begin a full-scale ground offensive into Rafah, where a humanitarian crisis is unfolding, the stakes are rising for Yemen’s Ansarullah movement—better known as the Houthis. Already, the group has vowed to escalate its attacks on shipping in the Red Sea until Israel ceases its military operations in Gaza. With no end to the war in sight, the Houthis are set to continue disrupting one of the world's most important waterways—especially as public opinion in Yemen and the wider region seems to be increasingly in their favor.

A rare opportunity

The Houthis first entered the fray in Nov. 2023, when the Yemeni group began launching drones and missiles at vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Although Ansarullah claims that its targets are affiliated with or heading to or from Israel, many of the ships hit by the Houthis do not have any apparent ties to...