Soldiers of the Yemeni army move into position in the city of Taiz, as part of an operation to confront Houthi militia fighters, on September 27, 2021. With the end of the Iran War, the Houthis could face a particularly vulnerable moment for their movement. (Shutterstock/Mohammad Bash)

What It Would Mean If the Houthis Lost Iranian Support

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The Yemeni terror group faces critical vulnerabilities without Iran. The United States and its allies should take notice.

Ansar Allah—the Houthi movement—in Yemen has been a destabilizing force for decades, impeding stability, threatening global commerce, and fostering extremism. The group’s unique imperatives and constraints have made it highly resilient. However, despite its continued resilience, the group will be severely vulnerable following the 2026 war in Iran. The United States should facilitate this decline through burden-sharing with regional partners and exploiting the group’s fiscal vulnerabilities.

Thus far in the Iran War, the Houthis have played a minor role, acting more as a threat than a weapon. If the ceasefire collapses, Iran could use the group to escalate the conflict, punishing the United States and the global economy further. Any threat to the global economy by the Houthis is likely to trigger retaliation by the United States and Israel, who will attempt to degrade their capabilities. However, any strikes will be largely ineffective due to the group’s kinetic resilience.

A central pillar of Houthi resilience is Iranian support. The group receives training, supplies, and funding from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) interlocutors. This partnership has posed a formidable threat to both the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz. However, this is a waning partnership of necessity, upon which the Houthis have built a vulnerable financial network. With its patron likely to recede from an ineffective Axis of Resistance, the group will be forced to diversify its financial network, which is already reliant on a vulnerable cryptocurrency.

To take advantage of the coming constraints and vulnerabilities of the Houthis, Washington should work with regional partners, namely Saudi Arabia, and the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). The United States should take the lead on degrading the Houthis’ illicit financial network, while its partners tackle on the ground resilience.

Houthi Resilience in Yemen

The Houthis’ missile attack on Israel in March 2026 is emblematic of the group’s resilience. Despite multiple campaigns by regional and global powers to weaken the group, it remains cohesive and has the offensive capabilities to join the largest regional conflict in the 21st century. The group’s resilience stems from its topography, rentier resources, organizational structure, and fiscal versatility.

The topography of northeast Yemen, the seat of Houthi power, is mountainous with deep valleys. The northern highlands in the Sarawat Mountains provide the group with strategic depth and natural fortifications. The valleys offer the group many locations to conduct ambushes against any invading force, while the rugged terrain provides cover from airstrikes. 

Yemen has two rentier........

© The National Interest