Over the course of 2004-2025 the Houthi Rebels have massively increased their standing
in Yemen and the Red sea. Lately, warfare has also seen a great change, blurring the lines
between war and peace, thus hybrid war has become a central subject of discussion.
Despite this, the Houthi Rebels have received little attention leading to the overlooking
of their actor-specific variations, both beyond and within the military aspect. This paper
aims to shed light on their methods used by the Houthies and how they have developed
through the lens of Frank G. Hoffman’s theoretical framework of Hybrid warfare.
The study concludes that the Houthis have implemented more ambitious and
sophisticated methods over time, in order to maintain a criminal state and undermine the
Yemini government. Additionally, the Houthis have seen a large numerical increase due
to the effective spread of propaganda and repression. The study also concludes that the
Houthis' use of advanced conventional weapons, provided by Iran, has had a substantial
impact on the Houthis’ ability to challenge superior adversaries. Further, the use of
indiscriminate violence has seen an increase for the sole purpose of terror on land and at
sea, which has served as an effective deterrence strategy.
Nyckelord: Hybridkrigföring, Huthirebellerna, Jemen, Iran,
2025. , p. 40