Iran is pushing the Houthis to prepare for a renewed campaign against Red Sea shipping, contingent upon any further escalation by the US in its war on the Islamic Republic, according to European officials familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg on Monday.
Leaders of the Yemen-based Houthis, who are backed by Iran, are weighing options for more aggressive action after launching ballistic missiles at Israel, the sources told the news website.
There are divisions within the Houthis leadership about how aggressive to be and that was partly why the group only entered the conflict a month into it, the people said. In an announcement on Saturday, the Houthis said they would continue operations until US-Israeli attacks on Iran and its proxy groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, cease. They specifically did not say they would target tankers or other vessels transiting the Red Sea.
US and Saudi Arabian officials have told European allies they believe the group wants to avoid further escalation and attacks on American and Saudi assets for now, the sources told Bloomberg.
A spokesperson for the Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. White House spokespeople did not immediately comment on the matter.
The Iranian-backed Houthis began attacking Israel in late 2023 as a show of support for Gaza. Israel several times launched retaliatory airstrikes, eliminating dozens of senior Houthi officials.
The rebels halted their attacks when the ceasefire in Gaza went into effect last October, but fired missiles towards Israel on the weekend, marking the first time they have done so since the start of the current conflict between Israel and Iran. These attacks came after the Houthis threatened Israel numerous times with renewed attacks.