In the aftermath of a targeted Israeli airstrike on Yemeni territory, a social media channel closely linked to the Houthi regime released a video documenting fervent support for Gaza, reiterating the group’s position in the Iranian-backed campaign against Israel. The video, distributed to nearly one million followers, captures Houthi supporters declaring a commitment to support Hamas-controlled Gaza regardless of the devastation wrought upon Yemen, underscoring the enduring alignment of the Houthis with Tehran’s regional strategy.
The message, released within hours of the airstrike, is part of a broader information campaign orchestrated by the Houthi leadership and their Iranian backers. Rather than a spontaneous expression, the video demonstrates the regime’s calculated use of propaganda to broadcast defiance and to shape the narrative both domestically and across the Middle East. By publicly emphasizing that support for Gaza outweighs the costs of Yemen’s destruction, the Houthis seek to reinforce solidarity with Hamas and foster an image of resilience central to Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’.
Iran’s Proxy Strategy and the Houthi Agenda
The Houthis, or Ansar Allah, are an Iranian-supported Shi’ite terrorist organization operating in northern Yemen. Over more than a decade, Tehran has supplied the group with advanced weapons, training, and financial backing, allowing it to gain decisive control over significant parts of Yemen. Within Iran’s regional strategy, the Houthis play a pivotal role: projecting power into the Red Sea and threatening Israel and its allies through both direct action—such as missile and drone attacks—and by supporting Hamas and Hezbollah’s campaigns to undermine Israel’s security.
In the wake of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre—the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust—Houthi forces accelerated attacks in support of Gaza, targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea and directly threatening Israeli territory. Each of these actions forms part of Iran’s broader effort to expand its influence and encircle Israel through its network of terrorist proxies.
Propaganda, Morale, and Regional Messaging
The immediately released video’s language and timing are telling. Pledging loyalty to Gaza “even if all Yemen is destroyed” serves as both a rallying cry and a warning to adversaries. On one hand, it seeks to galvanize morale domestically and among Houthi fighters facing local privation. On the other, it is intended to communicate unwavering resolve to Israel and to any Arab states contemplating normalization with Jerusalem.
For Iran, amplifying such messages is a tool for deterring regional actors from cooperating with Israel or the United States. The coordination and distribution of Houthi propaganda—often on channels with hundreds of thousands of regional followers—are integral to Iran’s psychological operations, laying groundwork for broader escalation while promoting the narrative of a region aligned against Israel.
Yemen’s Humanitarian Crisis and Regime Priorities
The regime’s insistence on supporting Gaza at all costs comes against a backdrop of staggering human suffering in Yemen. Years of civil war have ruined vital infrastructure; more than 20 million people depend on humanitarian aid; and malnutrition and disease threaten the most vulnerable. Despite this, Houthi leadership continues to redirect significant resources—often derived from diverted humanitarian assistance—toward its war effort and the procurement of Iranian military technology.
International relief organizations and independent monitors have repeatedly documented deliberate Houthi obstruction of aid and exploitation of civilian hardships for military gain. These realities are rarely present in the group’s messaging, which instead positions hardship as a necessary sacrifice for the regional struggle against Israel.
Israeli Policy and Regional Security Implications
Israel’s military activity in Yemen, characterized by limited, targeted actions, is presented by Israeli officials as a matter of self-defense. The IDF, under Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, operates in close consultation with political leadership and international allies, particularly the United States. Israeli officials have stressed that Houthi attacks—from missile launches against Israeli territory to maritime assaults intended to disrupt global commerce—must be countered through decisive, proportional, and legal force.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have framed these operations as vital to Israel’s enduring security and deterrence posture against Iran’s encirclement strategy. U.S. support has remained robust, with President Donald Trump’s administration reaffirming Israel’s right to self-defense and joint coalition efforts focused on safeguarding regional trade and countering Iranian-backed escalation.
The Larger Context: Iran’s Regional Web
The Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah, and militias in Syria and Iraq comprise the core of Iran’s efforts to project influence and destabilize Israel. Since October 7th, these groups have escalated attacks across multiple fronts, bolstered by Iranian arms transfers, technical support, and coordinated propaganda campaigns. While their rhetoric emphasizes solidarity and resistance, their actions—routinely employing civilian sites for military advantage and diverting resources from humanitarian needs—reveal the extent to which Iranian priorities override local interests.
For Israel, the expansion of the conflict into spaces like the Red Sea presents ongoing operational and diplomatic challenges. Israeli officials continue to warn of the risks inherent in Iran’s destabilizing strategy, urging international partners to maintain pressure on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies.
Conclusion: The High Cost of Proxy Warfare
The Houthi response to the Israeli strike, broadcast immediately and widely, demonstrates the regime’s willingness to sacrifice Yemen’s stability to preserve its role within Iran’s axis. For ordinary Yemenis, this means prolonged conflict and deepening humanitarian disaster. For Israel, it presents a reminder that the campaign for security is regional in scale and demands vigilance against adversaries willing to endure—and inflict—devastation for ideological ends.
Accurate reporting and context are essential to understanding these dynamics. As the Houthis renew their commitment to Gaza despite Yemen’s devastation, the true cost of Iran’s war-by-proxy becomes clear: the lives of civilians from Sanaa to Jerusalem remain on the frontlines of a conflict driven by Tehran’s ambitions and its willingness to escalate against Israel through allied terror organizations.
