Within the “axis of resistance” to Israel, led by Iran, the Houthis have distinguished themselves, since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, by spectacular actions. On Thursday, November 9, Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for firing a new “salvo of ballistic missiles” toward the seaside city of Eilat in southern Israel, 2,000 kilometers from their capital, Sanaa. The Israeli army confirmed that it intercepted projectiles using the Arrow missile defense system and Patriot anti-aircraft batteries. The day before, the Houthis had shot down a US army MQ-9 drone off the coast of Yemen.
Ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and swarms of drones: the military arsenal deployed by the Houthis does not surprise UN experts who track the weapons the militia has acquired with the help of Iran. The decision to use it in support of Hamas is consistent with the ideological formation of the group, filled with slogans: “Death to Israel! », “Death to America! » But the message that the Yemeni rebels are sending is aimed as much at Riyadh as at Tel Aviv. Winners of the war which pits them against the Yemeni government, supported by the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia since 2015, the Houthis represent a serious threat to their Gulf neighbors and they have regional ambitions.
Since taking power in Sanaa in 2014, the armed group has acquired weapons with which it has been able to strike as far away as Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, more than 1,500 kilometers away. With the support of advisors from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Lebanese Hezbollah, the Houthis learned to manufacture some of these weapons locally. The missing components are being smuggled from Iran, by sea and through the Sultanate of Oman. The support of Iran, with which there is a convergence of interests and trust, has allowed the Houthis to assert themselves in the conflict in Yemen.
“A slap in the face for the Saudis”
“There is coordination with Iran and other groups in the region, but one would expect that a group whose anti-Israel and anti-American ideological background is not just a slogan would take part in this front, with or without the green light from Iran”, estimates Farea Al-Muslimi, researcher at the Chatham House think tank (London). Their participation in the battle against Israel also responds to internal logics. A military and political power without rival in northern Yemen, the Houthis have a deficit of legitimacy among the population. “Their participation in the fight against Israel is a tremendous opportunity to unify the Yemeni population, which is overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian but suffers under their rule hunger, corruption and mafia-style governance,” continues the expert.
