In the expanding conflict theater of the Middle East, Israel has recently intensified a series of measured, targeted strikes against the Houthi movement in Yemen. This escalation comes in direct response to sustained Houthi maritime attacks and blockades that have hit Israeli tourism, supply chains, and broader economic interests. Israel’s strategy toward the Houthis illustrates both the constraints facing Western democracies in confronting Iran’s network of regional proxies and the careful calculation involved in maintaining deterrence when faced with persistent asymmetric threats.
The Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia, emerged as a major destabilizing force following the power vacuum in Yemen after the Arab Spring. Their control over key regions, including the Yemeni capital Sana’a and parts of the Red Sea coast, has translated into direct threats to international shipping and Israeli-bound vessels crossing the Bab-el-Mandeb strait—a maritime chokepoint crucial for global commerce. In late 2023 and into 2024, Houthi attacks surged, with the group publicly declaring its intent to disrupt Israeli-linked maritime traffic, further cementing its role within Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance. This coincided with Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza following the deadly Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, which marked the worst antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust. The multifront security challenge confronting Israel thus expanded further south, compelling a reassessment of the operational approach to Houthi aggression.
Officials and security commentators in Israel, supported by multiple government and defense sources, have reiterated a consistent assessment: despite technological superiority, it is operationally impossible to eradicate the Houthi threat solely through airpower. This position has been reaffirmed by Israeli military planners, referencing years of international efforts—principally the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen—that have failed to break the Houthis’ territorial grip or asymmetric warfare capabilities. Instead, Israel’s actions reflect a doctrine of proportional, targeted response. This was highlighted by Israel’s systematic attacks on Houthi strategic infrastructure, such as strikes targeting Sana’a International Airport and key Red Sea port facilities. These operations, attributed to Israeli military sources, sought to undermine the Houthis’ operational flexibility and retaliate for disruption to Israel’s tourism and maritime economic activity.
Despite the tactical success of disabling airport and port infrastructure, Israeli officials privately acknowledge that Houthi logistical resilience allowed the rapid restoration of some targeted assets. The prompt resumption of operations at Sana’a Airport despite substantial damage underscores the movement’s adaptive capabilities and the limits of sustained deterrence through intermittent strikes. According to defense analysts within Western intelligence circles, logistical networks sustained by Iranian and regional support enable the Houthis to remain effective even after losses, posing a long-term strategic challenge to Israel and its allies.
At sea, the Houthis have used advanced anti-ship missiles and drones—many of Iranian origin, according to Israeli, US, and British intelligence briefings—to threaten global shipping and pursue a blockade against vessels destined for Israel. In response, Israel, often in coordination with Western naval partners, has targeted docking, loading, and maritime support infrastructure used by the Houthis for hostile activity. Sources within the Israeli security establishment confirm that these strikes follow both established rules of engagement and international legal standards, with proportionality and discrimination as guiding operational principles.
The United States has been central to the broader response, coordinating intelligence-sharing and naval escorts to sustain the flow of global trade and protect Israeli and other commercial vessels in Red Sea waters. US military and diplomatic statements emphasize that the international maritime security coalition, including Britain and France, is maintaining freedom of navigation under increasing threat from Iranian-backed groups. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, and Minister of Defense Israel Katz have all articulated Israel’s intent to continue targeted operations as necessary to safeguard sovereignty and economic security, with operational updates regularly disseminated to allied governments and the press.
Understanding the challenge posed by the Houthis requires situating their campaign within Iran’s broader regional strategy. The Islamic Republic has cultivated, trained, and armed proxy groups across the Middle East to project power, undermine Western-aligned governments, and exert pressure through asymmetric conflict. The Houthis’ ability to sustain operations despite intensive pressure reflects the sophisticated support provided by Tehran, as documented in various international reports and cited by US and Israeli intelligence agencies. This support encompasses not only weapons shipments and technical expertise but also strategic guidance and ideological direction, situating the Houthi campaign within the larger confrontation between Israel and Iran’s Axis of Resistance.
The resilience of the Houthis in the face of air campaigns also echoes prior international experiences with entrenched insurgencies. As demonstrated in Afghanistan and Iraq, and through repeated air campaigns in Yemen, asymmetric actors can adapt to aerial assault by dispersing assets, embedding within civilian infrastructure, and utilizing terrain and external support to maintain operational effectiveness. Israeli officials and Western allies have thus come to see airpower as only one part of a comprehensive deterrence and containment strategy.
Israel’s targeting methodology, designed to minimize civilian harm and adhere to the principles of distinction, sharply contrasts with the Houthis’ and other Iranian proxies’ willingness to target civilian infrastructure and maritime commerce indiscriminately. The Israeli government and independent Western observers have highlighted these differences in repeated public briefings, emphasizing Israel’s commitment to international legal standards in both its regional operations and overall conduct.
The cyclical nature of attack and response risks long-term insecurity for international trade and for regional stability. Analysts at leading policy institutes and within Western governments broadly assess that so long as Iran sustains its proxy network and leverages its partners to exert pressure on Israel and allied interests, the prospect for escalation—on land and at sea—remains high. The humanitarian consequences for Yemen’s civilian population, already beset by conflict, are compounded by Houthi policies that deter foreign investment and limit access to aid, according to United Nations and other reputable humanitarian reports.
Israel’s public messaging stresses a policy of operational necessity, clear objectives, and proportional, fact-driven response. The government consistently communicates that it does not seek to expand the conflict with Yemen nor illusions about defeating the Houthis outright through airstrikes, but is committed to defending its sovereignty and economic lifelines from sustained aggression. The moral and legal distinctions between Israel’s conduct and that of Iranian-backed proxies are highlighted in international briefings and reinforced by independent fact-finding by Western militaries and think tanks.
In sum, Israel’s confrontation with the Houthis epitomizes the evolving nature of hybrid warfare in the Middle East where state-backed non-state actors leverage sophisticated weaponry, regional alliances, and asymmetric tactics to challenge Western interests and international order. The Israeli case, in partnership with the United States and Europe, reflects the challenges—and imperatives—of upholding national self-defense, protecting the global commons, and responding to persistent, ideologically-motivated proxy aggression. The outcome of this multi-theater contest will help determine the trajectory of regional stability and the ability of Western democracies to protect strategic interests under the mounting threat posed by Iranian-backed forces across the region.
