The Houthis’ quiet restraint in the Arabian Gulf
Why the North Yemen-based movement has so far refrained from attacks on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, and the US.
The Houthis have shown they can strike far beyond Yemen. They have fired drones and missiles across borders and, at times, turned the Red Sea into a high-risk corridor for global trade. Research on the group’s arsenal has put its maximum strike range at roughly 2,600 kilometers, and the May 2025 missile that landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport reinforced that point.
That record is why many Yemen watchers expected the Houthis to join the fight as the regional confrontation around their key ally Iran escalated. The targets are close. Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates sit within range. US facilities are spread across the region, including in Djibouti. Yet by March 9, 2026, the Houthis still had not launched a direct campaign against Israeli and US assets, and their leader again stopped short of declaring a return to sustained maritime attacks.
Research Approach and Aim: This report draws on discussions with two interlocutors based in Houthi-controlled Sana’a, one regional interlocutor, two INGO executives working on Yemen, a senior Yemeni security officer from the internationally recognized government, and two regional and Western military officers.
It examines whether the Houthis are likely to carry out military operations against US assets, targets in the Arabian Gulf region, mainland Israel, and global maritime shipping routes. It also explains why they have not joined the fighting so far. The assessment reflects the situation as of 9 March 2026.