Houthis Maintain 20-Day Pause on Red Sea Attacks; Analysts Debate Tehran's Signal

The Houthis have maintained silence on Red Sea shipping for 20 days despite pre-war redeployment of missile launchers and radars along the Hodeida coast. Leader al-Houthi stated 'our hands are on the trigger' but continues to defer to Tehran coordination. Stimson Center analysis suggests the pause is strategic: Tehran may trigger Houthi activation only if its Hormuz position erodes, preserving a second-strike capability against global shipping.