On May 6, President Donald Trump declared an immediate end to US airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels, citing a ceasefire agreement brokered by Oman. Trump stated that the Houthis expressed a desire to cease hostilities, leading to the cessation of the US bombing campaign. The ceasefire aims to de-escalate tensions in the region, particularly concerning Red Sea shipping lanes—a crisis that intensified after US and UK forces launched strikes on Houthi positions on January 11, 2024. Those attacks, a response to Houthi assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, significantly disrupted maritime traffic and sparked vows of retaliation from the rebels. But who exactly are the Houthis, and why were they targeted?
Click through and find out more about the emergence of the Houthi movement.