TEL AVIV — Israel’s engagement in Yemen, targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist organization, has emerged as a significant development in the broader war against Iranian aggression and its regional proxies. As the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) extend operations far from home, military strategists and government officials are examining the effectiveness, cost, and necessity of these missions, especially as Iran’s axis continues to direct disruptive attacks from multiple fronts.
Background and Context
Since the October 7, 2023 massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Gaza — the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust — Israel has operated on an unprecedented multi-front scale. While actively defending against Hamas terrorists and responding to Hezbollah provocations from Lebanon, the IDF has also been drawn to confront a third Iranian proxy: the Houthis of Yemen. The Houthis, officially aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at international shipping lanes and, at times, directly at Israeli territory, threatening maritime security and regional stability.
The U.S.-led campaign against the Houthis has spanned over 50 days, employing significant airpower and naval assets. Israel, acting both independently and in coordination with American forces, initiated its own series of strikes in Yemen in early 2024. These operations aimed to degrade the Houthis’ capacity for long-range attacks and to send a deterrent message to Tehran and its constellation of armed groups.
Operational Considerations and Military Value
Despite these sustained efforts, the Houthi threat remains a reality. Their missile and drone launch sites are deeply embedded within Yemen’s civilian infrastructure, complicating efforts to neutralize their capabilities without wider conflict or civilian harm. Israeli defense officials have openly debated the cost-benefit equation of advancing military resources and risking aircrews so far from Israel for marginal strategic return. U.S. military sources have also acknowledged the resilience of Houthi terrorist infrastructure, which continues to receive significant logistical and technical support from Iran.
Within Israel’s defense establishment, some have come to view the Yemen campaign as a proving ground. Each sortie provides invaluable operational experience in targeting, command coordination, and long-range logistics — capabilities essential in the event of direct confrontation with Iran. Israeli Air Force exercises over Yemen simulate the challenges of striking targets across vast distances, in hostile environments, and in the presence of advanced, Iranian-supplied air defenses.
Resources and Risks
Every mission in Yemen carries substantial costs in munitions, flight hours, and maintenance, all while exposing aircrew to advanced anti-aircraft weaponry and the risk of capture or loss. As the IDF remains heavily committed in Gaza, the northern border, Judea and Samaria, and persistent cyber defense tasks, there is mounting debate among former officials and military analysts regarding whether operations in Yemen best serve Israel’s security interests at this time.
Strategic and Political Dimensions
Strategically, Israel’s operations in Yemen serve as a direct message of deterrence towards Iran and demonstrate Israel’s willingness to defend its citizens and global commerce against any regional threat. However, Israel’s military doctrine recognizes that neither airstrikes nor limited raids can fully eradicate an ideologically driven terror network operating under Iranian direction.
The Yemen operations stress test not only Israel’s military readiness but also its alliances with the United States and other Western partners. Coordination in intelligence and operational planning has highlighted the necessity for robust, joint defense against Iran’s axis, at a time when global shipping and energy flows remain critically exposed.
The Broader War
The sustained Houthi missile campaign underscores the axis framework orchestrated by Tehran: a network including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and affiliated militias across Syria and Iraq. This alliance is rooted not in national aspirations but in a shared, uncompromising commitment to Israel’s destruction. The October 7 massacre, and subsequent terror atrocities, clarified that these Iranian-backed forces harbor no regard for the civilian population, routinely exploiting non-combatants as human shields and hostages.
While the IDF and its allies have successfully intercepted the majority of Houthi projectiles, the continued threat and the challenges of disabling deeply embedded enemy positions validate Israel’s insistence on readiness for full-scale hostilities with Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, have asserted that national security will demand decisive action—not only in defense but in the calculated allocation of Israel’s finite military assets.
Preparation for Future Conflict
Israeli officials and analysts generally agree that the essential value of the Yemen campaign lies in its contribution to real-world training for future scenarios. This rehearsal—integrating air, naval, and intelligence elements at extreme range—provides an unmatched laboratory in joint-force effectiveness. Israeli and American planners are placing special emphasis on operational integration to guarantee immediate response capability should Iran escalate or directly threaten Israel’s existence.
Conclusion
Israel’s military involvement in Yemen, while controversial domestically for its cost and risk, remains shaped by the reality of Iranian proxy warfare and Tehran’s ongoing attempts to destabilize the region. These operations expose both the strengths and limits of air campaign strategies against embedded terror organizations, underscoring the need for measured resource allocation as Israel prepares for the greater strategic challenge posed by Iran. In this evolving reality, each operation is seen not merely as a tactical exercise but as an investment in the IDF’s capacity to defend Israel’s sovereign future in a hostile and volatile region.
