The Houthis really matter to you

RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL September 18, 2026

A historian on who they are. Stories on ordinary Yemenis dealing with war

From Houthis or Ansar Allah site

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The Big Story:

Yemeni Houthi fighters’ conquest of the strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden means Iran and its allies now control the two main routes for shipping oil out of the Middle East and have leverage over a quarter of the world’s oil.

Six months after Donald Trump began the US-Iran war, the Houthis now matter a lot — to you and to everyone, everywhere.

Power cuts, fuel rationing and price rises are sparking protests across the world, not least the Philippines, Portugal, Syria, Indonesia, Guatemala and Bangladesh.

This Week’s Books explore:

* Who are the Houthis and what’s the conflict in Yemen really about?

* What do ordinary Yemenis think and feel?

Click here to read on about the books and the back story

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