Yesterday, I joined the BBC to discuss Israel's latest airstrike on Sana'a. The immediate trigger was clear: the Houthis had fired a ballistic missile armed with a cluster munition toward Tel Aviv. What's less clear—but just as important—is the broader context in which this strike occurred, and how the Houthi-Iran relationship continues to shape the conflict.
This isn't tit-for-tat. It's calculated provocation from a group that has mastered the art of insulated escalation. The Houthis escalate with minimal risk because they know their leadership is protected from retaliation, from accountability, and often from scrutiny. The fallout often lands on ordinary Yemenis, not the decision-makers.
Inside Yemen, the story rarely told is this: there is no mass loyalty to the Houthis. Their support base is narrow, primarily drawn from networks of family and loyalists embedded in the system they built. The public displays of allegiance…rallies, chants of "Death to America," or "Death to Israel" are often coerced performances, not ideological commitments. Compliance is demanded, not chosen. For many, it's the price of survival under a regime that tolerates no dissent.
The Houthis control northern Yemen through force alone. Their authority is not earned; it is enforced. Tehran empowers them, not to advance Yemen's future, but to execute Iran's foreign policy rooted in nuclear deterrence and regional influence, especially against Israel. Houthis use Yemen to serve as Iran's forward operating base, a place where the Revolutionary Guards can test weapons, project power, and maintain pressure on their enemies without direct exposure to retaliation.
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Ideology Machine to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
