Seth J. Frantzman
Jerusalem Post, May 4, 2025
“The Houthis are a hard nut to crack. Air power is likely not enough to stop them. Can their supply lines be cut off instead? Can their rocket storage facilities be found? Possibly.”
The Houthis launched a missile at central Israel on Sunday that caused an explosion near Ben-Gurion Airport. This led to some airlines canceling flights. Clearly, a missile, or a missile fragment, or even fragments of an interceptor, falling near a major airport is a strategic threat.
Israel has generally allowed the Houthis to launch long-range missiles at it over the last 12 months, assuming these will be intercepted. While Israel launched a handful of retaliatory raids using warplanes in 2024, it has basically stepped aside when the US began launching its own airstrikes on the Houthis beginning on March 15. The US campaign against them involves at least two aircraft carriers now.
However, Sunday’s attack could be a game-changer.
Although Israeli politicians issued the usual threats, it is unclear if the Houthis can be easily stopped or deterred.
What do we know about this challenge? To answer that, we need to say more about the Houthis first.
For over ten years, the Iranian-backed Houthis have been able to surprise the Middle East with their capabilities. The group burst onto the scene in Yemen, transforming from a poor cluster of rebels into a major body that poses a significant threat to the region’s security.
The Houthis threatened to take the major port city of Aden. This led to Saudi Arabia getting several countries to intervene in Yemen. ….SOURCE