Houthis' Apparent Restraint: Why Yemen's Rebels Have Not Joined Iran in Conflict

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, one of Iran’s key Shi’ite allies in the region, have so far stayed on the sidelines of the latest conflict sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Tehran. While groups aligned with Iran in Lebanon and Iraq have already joined the fighting, the Houthis — who possess the ability to strike Gulf states and disrupt shipping routes around the Arabian Peninsula — have yet to take part directly. Here is a closer look at the reasons behind their apparent restraint.