‘Fire Your Own Missile!’ – How The Houthis Are Funding Their Red Sea Blockade

In two weeks, it will be the one-year anniversary of a major action in the Red Sea: the Houthis, a powerful group from Yemen, began blocking ships they suspect are linked to Israel and Western countries. This blockade has caused big disruptions to international shipping, especially in waters around Yemen, and it shows no sign of slowing down. The Houthis have even started raising funds to support their campaign against Israel and its allies.

Here’s how they’re doing it: The Houthis are asking people in Yemen to donate money through a viral social media campaign. The ads are straightforward: "Donate just 100 Yemeni rials (about 40 cents) and help fire a missile!" Some of the ads even make it sound like you could be a part of the action by saying, "Call 180, launch your rocket or drone, and hit Israeli enemy ships!" The ads are designed to make people feel like they can contribute directly to the missile attacks.

One of the ads shows an image of a missile with a fuse connected...