(Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs) Lenny Ben-David - The Houthis of Yemen are a well-armed and dangerous army of 873,000 fighters threatening Israel, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Emirates, the U.S. Navy, and international shipping, with drones, ballistic missiles, and rockets. After Hamas and Hizbullah, the Houthis remain Iran's most viable and dangerous proxy. Like Hizbullah, the Houthis view their mission as relieving Israeli pressure on Hamas. Houthis could show up on Israel's borders as Iranian expeditionary forces. In November 2023 and February 2024, Houthi air defense systems shot down two advanced, $30 million, U.S. MQ-9 unmanned combat aerial vehicles. U.S. defense officials focus on the Houthi threat to international shipping and Israel but pay little or no attention to Iran's immense support role in training, and providing weaponry, intelligence, and funding to the Houthis. Ultimately, all violence against the West, Israel, and freedom of shipping in the Middle East is traced back to Iran. The writer is Director of the Institute for U.S.-Israel Relations at the Jerusalem Center.
2024-11-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive