Who Are the Houthis and Why Is the U.S. and Israel Attacking Them? NYT | Top Stories By: Ismaeel Naar, Ephrat Livni and Gaya Gupta 1 January 2025 at 01:30 The Iranian-backed militia has launched attacks on Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea. © Yahya Arhab/EPA, via ShutterstockNewly recruited Houthi fighters marching past an image of their leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, in December.