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- 작성자 HIMEA
- 조회수 39
Rising Israel–Yemen Confrontation: The Houthis Become Israel’s Next Target
On May 28, the Israeli Air Force carried out an unannounced airstrike on Sana’a International Airport, the capital of Yemen. The attack destroyed the last passenger aircraft operated by the Houthi rebels, who control the capital. The strike came shortly after two missiles launched from Yemen were intercepted earlier that morning, serving as a retaliatory measure.
Israel has declared that it will continue to destroy the strategic infrastructure of the Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran. Having effectively weakened Hezbollah, Israel is now targeting another Iranian proxy force — the Houthi rebels.
The Houthi Rebels Have Become a Thorn in the Side of Israel
The Houthi rebels cannot be regarded as a major threat to Israel’s survival or national security. However, since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war in late 2023, the Houthis have continuously expressed their support for Hamas, while launching missile and drone attacks against Israel and threatening Israeli-flagged vessels transiting the Red Sea. Moreover, as the Houthis are backed by Iran, Israel has responded sensitively to Yemen’s actions, viewing them as those of a group supported by its most dangerous regional adversary.
The Houthis’ Retaliatory Response Strategy
Following the airstrike on Sana’a International Airport, the Houthi rebels declared their intention to retaliate. They announced that Israeli civilian aircraft would henceforth be included among their potential targets, mirroring Israel’s earlier strike that destroyed four Yemeni passenger planes. The Houthis have already launched several missile attacks on Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport in the past.
Since March of this year, the Houthi rebels have come under intense U.S. attacks, which led to a ceasefire agreement with Washington in June, during which they pledged to halt attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea. However, the Houthis have made it clear that this truce does not apply to Israel, leaving Israeli targets excluded from the ceasefire terms.
Yemen, the Endpoint of Iran’s Isolation Campaign
The primary reason Israel and the United States are conducting intensive military operations against the Houthi rebels is to block Iran’s expanding regional influence. While their stated objectives also include supporting the Sunni Arab states opposing the Houthis in the Yemeni civil war and protecting commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea, Israel and the United States are strongly motivated by a desire to weaken the Houthis, another pro-Iranian militant group, following their efforts against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The current regional context has created a favorable environment for this objective: the emergence of a Sunni-led government in Syria and the decline of Hezbollah’s power in Lebanon have set the stage for reducing the influence of the Houthi movement, Iran’s remaining key proxy force in the region.
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