Answer extracted from the The Daily podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How did the Houthis emerge as a major power player in Yemen and what triggered their recent military advances?
The Houthis transformed from a ragtag religious movement in northern Yemen into a major regional power by 2014, when they seized the capital of Sana'a during Yemen's failed Arab Spring transition. Their political exclusion and lack of access to oil resources, combined with Iran's hardline interests in destabilizing global energy markets, fueled their military advances and turned them into a force that could directly influence oil prices worldwide.
The Houthis' ascent was not inevitable. They began as a fringe movement in Yemen's rural north, with little apparent prospect of ever controlling a major city. But political mismanagement during Yemen's transition period created a vacuum that they exploited with remarkable speed in 2014. As the government failed to deliver on promises and regional tensions escalated, the Houthis capitalized on widespread discontent.
What made their rise truly consequential was the convergence of regional and global interests. The Houthis' frustration with political exclusion aligned perfectly with Iran's strategic goal of pressuring global energy markets. As Vivian Neerheim explains in The Daily episode, their control of key waterways in the region—particularly the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the opening of the Red Sea—gave them leverage over one of the world's most critical shipping corridors for oil and goods.
The military campaign that followed their seizure of Sana'a only reinforced their position. Saudi Arabia's 2015 bombing campaign, meant to dislodge them, instead entrenched their control and transformed them into a more battle-hardened organization. Even after a UN-backed truce was signed in 2022, the underlying dynamics remained: the Houthis held territory that mattered, and they had proven willing to use force to keep it.
"As long as there is still conflict in the region and as long as they have foes who are still willing and able to attack the pipeline, that will remain a risk."
Vivian Neerheim — Correspondent, The New York Times, covering geopolitical developments in the Middle East from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Neerheim specializes in the complex dynamics between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, and how regional conflicts ripple through global energy markets during periods of international tension.
The real significance of the Houthis' rise is that it demonstrates how a regional power can gain outsized influence over global commodity prices by controlling critical infrastructure. Gas stations in Florida saw 20-cent price jumps overnight partly because of decisions made in Yemen—a direct line from Middle Eastern geography to American pump prices that most consumers never see or understand.
For a deeper look at how this Yemeni conflict cascades through the global economy, and the precise mechanics of how regional actors like the Houthis wield leverage over oil markets, listen to the full episode on Listenly.
See also
What geographic advantage allowed Saudi Arabia to maintain oil exports while the Strait of Hormuz was blockaded during the Iran war?
Saudi Arabia had built a gigantic oil pipeline that stretches across the kingdom to the Red Sea, allowing them to export oil over land as a workaround when strategic waterways were threatened by regional conflict.
How did President Biden's selection of Franchetti differ from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's recommendation?
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's first choice for Chief of Naval Operations was Sam Paparo, a senior Navy officer with extensive experience in the region, but Biden ultimately selected a different candidate.
What was the combat exclusion ban and how did it affect Lisa Franchetti's early Navy career?
The combat exclusion ban was a policy in place when Franchetti joined the Navy in the 1980s that prevented women from serving on combat ships or in combat roles, significantly limiting career advancement opportunities.