The terrifying rise of the Houthi rebels: Immersive interactive maps show how quickly the Iran-backed terror group at the center of the unfolding Middle East crisis engulfed Yemen

The Houthis, a Yemeni terror group, have placed themselves at the center of the Middle East crisis after attacking ships in the Red Sea.

Founded in the 1990s by Hussein al-Houthi, from whom they take their name, the group rose to power amid Yemen's political unrest following the Arab Spring.

Militants abandoned their core areas in northern Yemen and quickly captured Yemen's capital and seat of power, Sana'a, along with the regime's stockpiles of advanced missiles.

They then held off an invasion by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which the Houthis feared because they are allies of Saudi Arabia's deadly enemies, Iran.

The Houthis now control Yemen's west coast and are launching missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with another Iranian ally, Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza.

To defend international shipping lanes, America and Britain have begun bombing the Houthis while trying to prevent a broader regional war from igniting.

US President Joe Biden had warned of further bombings if the Houthis did not stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. Pictured top: A northern facility along the coast in Yemen in March 2021. Pictured bottom, the same facility on January 12, 2024 after airstrikes by the United States and Britain

Founded in the 1990s, the Houthis opposed the country's dictatorial ruler, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Religiously considered Zaydi (a branch of Islam similar to the Iranian Shiites), they trace their lineage back to the Zaydi Imamate who ruled the western part of Yemen for hundreds of years.

They believe that only the Zaydis have the authority to sit and rule as Imam. They are also allies of Iran and have adopted Iran's enemies: Saudi Arabia, the US and Israel.

Their flag, printed in the Iranian colors white, green and red, features the slogan: 'Allah'hu akbar. Death to America. Death to Israel. A curse on the Jews. Victory for Islam.'

Between 2014 and 2023, they waged war against both the Yemeni state and a Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries that tried to oust them, both of which ended in failure.

From the beginning of this year, the fighting had reached a stalemate and both sides were engaged in diplomatic talks – until Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7.

In the aftermath of this atrocity, Israel marched into Gaza with a mission to eradicate Hamas, and the Houthis – who are allies of Hamas through Iran – started a new war in solidarity with them.

The 250-meter Marlin Luanda is burning after being hit by a Yemeni missile on January 26; According to the French army, the fire raged for twenty hours. Yemen's armed forces took immediate responsibility for the attack, labeling the ship a “British oil ship,” saying the attack was part of its ongoing campaign of “practical solidarity” with Palestine amid the ongoing war of Israel with Hamas.

The Houthis' ballistic missiles are Iranian-made and have a range of up to 2,000 kilometers. The Houthi group emerged in the 1990s but gained international attention in 2014 during an uprising against Yemen's government, leading to the ongoing civil war.

An RAF Typhoon aircraft sits in a hangar at RAF Akrotiri near Limassol in Cyprus after returning from an attack in Houthi-controlled Yemen on January 12. Britain and the US led the series of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen early Friday morning in response to attacks on merchant ships in recent weeks that had led to a number of companies suspending operations in the area

A fighter jet takes off from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower on January 12 as the US conducts airstrikes on Houthi targets. The Houthis, who say they stand in solidarity with Gaza, have carried out a growing number of rocket and drone attacks on what they see as Israeli-linked shipping on the Red Sea's main international trade route.

Houthi supporters hold up their weapons during a demonstration against the US, labeling the militia as a terrorist group. January 22, outside Sana'a

Initially they fired rockets at Israel itself, but when they were all shot down they began targeting ships in the Red Sea instead.

Officially they target ships linked to Israel, but in reality they attack any ship linked to the West.

This has forced many ships to divert from the Suez Canal – the main freight route from Asia to the West – and instead pass through Africa, adding costs.

The US and Britain are now bombing the terror group to defend international shipping lanes, but have so far failed to stop the attacks.

Today it was reported that Britain could send an aircraft carrier to the Red Sea as threats from Houthi rebels continue to escalate.

James Heappey, the Secretary of the Armed Forces, suggested that a British aircraft carrier could be sent to the region to replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower when it is returned to America.

Britain has already carried out a series of airstrikes on Houthi targets in coordination with the US, while the warship HMS Diamond is also stationed in the Red Sea to protect shipping on the main trade route.

But Mr Heappey suggested in an interview with House magazine that a British aircraft carrier could 'fill a gap' in the future.

Referring to the US airline's nickname, he said: 'There isn't really a need for more airlines – there needs to be more airlines in the region than the Ike can provide. She is a very capable ship.

“So our assessment was that with the Ike on station – the Eisenhower on station – and with the Akrotiri jets, we could meet the challenge as it is today.”

He indicated that the Royal Navy could intervene “when the Eisenhower goes home, if we need to fill a gap in the American deployment, or if the situation worsens and we need more.”