Yemeni militant group is ally of Iran and has previously caused huge disruption to global trade through attacks on Red Sea shipping Middle East crisis – live updates Yemeni militant group is ally of Iran and has previously caused huge disruption to global trade through attacks on Red Sea shipping Middle East crisis – live updates The Houthis are a militant group that emerged from a years-long civil war in Yemen as the country’s most powerful political force, able to disrupt international trade