Iranian Support Aids Houthis in Rapid Yemen Coastal Takeover

WHO:

AP News - The Houthis, an Iran-backed group, are involved in the conflict in Yemen.

ABC News - The National Resistance Forces, established in 2017, and the Giants Brigades are key factions opposing the Houthis.

ABC News - Rashad al-Alimi is the chairman of the Presidential Council of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

WHAT:

AP News - The Houthis seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast in less than 48 hours.

ABC News - The Houthis' recent advance included the capture of Mokha, a strategic city on the Red Sea, and islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

ABC News - Nearly 130,000 people have been newly displaced due to the renewed fighting, with hundreds killed.

WHERE:

AP News - The conflict is centered around Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

ABC News - Mokha is located on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

WHEN:

ABC News - A truce that had been in place since 2022 ended with the Houthis' recent advances.

ABC News - The National Shield was established in January 2023.

WHY:

ABC News - The factions opposing the Houthis are divided by geography, foreign patronage, and competing visions for Yemen's future.

ABC News - Leadership disputes and lack of coordination among anti-Houthi factions contributed to their defeat.

HOW:

AP News - Iranian advisers assisted the Houthis in their rapid takeover of the Red Sea coast.

ABC News - Saudi Arabia is attempting to unify the anti-Houthi factions under a single command structure.

(UPDATED September 23, 2026 19:03 UTC)

The Houthis, an Iran-backed group, have rapidly seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast, capturing the strategic city of Mokha and several islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, leading to nearly 130,000 people being newly displaced and hundreds killed. The National Resistance Forces and the Giants Brigades are key factions opposing the Houthis, but they face challenges due to geographic divisions and leadership disputes, while Saudi Arabia is working to unify these anti-Houthi factions under a single command. Rashad al-Alimi serves as the chairman of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which has seen its truce with the Houthis collapse amid this renewed fighting.