The Iran-backed Houthis continue to threaten Israel - analysis

In the wake of the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel many pro-Iranian groups in the region have increased their threats to Israel and also to US forces. For instance Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria carried out twenty attacks on US forces. The US responded on Thursday with airstrikes. The Iran-backed Houthis have also increased their threats. Israel condemned the Houthis for launching missiles and drones that have landed in Egypt.   

The Israel Foreign Ministry said that “Israel condemns the harm caused to Egypt's security forces by the missiles and drones launched by the Houthi terrorist organization with the intention of harming Israel. The Houthis a proxy of the Ayatollah’s terrorist regime in Teheran, which also controls the Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorist organizations.”

The Houthi threat has been around for years. In the past they targeted Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states with drones and missiles. They also began to base Shahed drones in Yemen that could threaten Israel in 2021. The Houthis control part of Yemen. They tried to take over Aden in 2015 but Saudi Arabia intervened. The Saudis and other states backed the government of Yemen against the Houthis. However the Houthis have been relatively successful in Yemen at growing their arsenal of missiles an drones, similar to Hezbollah and Hamas.  

 The goals of the Houthis

The Houthi official slogan is “death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews.” As such they seem themselves as part of the “resistance” and have increasingly joined calls by Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah to threaten Israel and the US. On October 18 they launched missiles and drones over the Red Sea which were intercepted by a US warship.  

The IDF said on Friday, October 27, “this morning, IAF forces were scrambled after an aerial threat was identified in the area of the Red Sea. The IAF intercepted the hostile targets in the area.” Arab News reported that “six people were lightly injured when an ‘unidentified drone fell’ on an Egyptian town on the border with Israel on Friday, the army said.” 

The Egypt army spokesman said the drone crashed into “a building next to Taba hospital.” Furthermore Egyptian sources said that “an ‘unidentified body’ fell near Nuweiba electricity plant in Sinai,” Arab News reported. 

The Houthi threat appears to be increasing and the Houthis feel impunity now to use missiles and drones over the Red Sea. In addition pro-Iran militias in Iraq and Syria continue to threaten US forces. There have also been at least two incidents of rockets launched from Syria during the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. There are also increased threats to the US embassy in Baghdad.  

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