Even in spring, people expected the Houthis to join the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel, and there were differing theories about why they had not entered the war. In March, Iranian officials and local residents told me that Tehran did not need the help of the Houthis or anyone else: the Houthis would join when necessary. That necessity has evidently arisen now, because around the second half of August Trump announced unprecedented pressure on Iran, not only military but also economic, seeking, as he put it, to choke the Iranian economy. But it would also be wrong to claim that they are fully controlled by Tehran: they have always pursued their own objectives first, which only periodically aligned with those of the Iranian authorities.
«A War Is Being Fought Without Rules, Without Any Red Lines»
«The Houthis Have Always Pursued Their Own Goals, Which Only Occasionally Coincided with Iran’s Goals»
