Missiles from the Mountains

Yemen’s Houthis, the last bastion of Iran’s Axis of Resistance, proves a tough nut to crack for Israel.

For weeks, Israel’s skies have been pierced by the wail of sirens and the thud of intercepted missiles. The source of this new torment lies not in Gaza or Lebanon but 2,000 kilometers away in Yemen. The Iran-aligned Houthi militant group has escalated its campaign against Israel with ballistic missiles and drones, continuing to strike after the Jewish state’s onslaught has cowed Hezbollah, Tehran’s chief ‘Axis of Resistance’ member.

Where Hamas and Hezbollah have retreated under the weight of Israeli retaliation, the Houthis have stepped into the breach.

The Houthis have long drawn inspiration from Hezbollah, Iran’s foremost proxy in Lebanon. But unlike their Lebanese counterparts, who tempered their militancy with political integration and the trappings of normal life, the Houthis remain ideologically unyielding. For them, martyrdom is not a last resort but a calling. The group’s apocalyptic mantra – ‘Death to America, death to Israel, curse upon the Jews, victory to Islam’ - underscores their extremist ethos.

Unlike Hezbollah, the Houthis operate from the remote and rugged terrain of Yemen’s northwest, far removed from the reach of Israeli airstrikes. This geographic distance, combined with Israel’s limited intelligence on Yemeni targets, has made the group a uniquely elusive and persistent threat. Their arsenal, which now includes long-range ‘Palestine’ ballistic missiles, capable of reaching Israel, showcases their technological evolution under Iranian tutelage.

The Houthis’ rise as a major player in the Axis of Resistance is a testament to Iran’s strategy of fostering non-state actors as instruments of regional influence. From the 1990s, Tehran began providing the Houthis with military and ideological support, shaping them into a force capable of challenging Sunni dominance in Yemen and beyond. The late Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, was instrumental in integrating the Houthis into Iran’s broader network of proxies.

The Houthis’ reliance on Iranian weapons is well-documented. Despite Tehran’s denials, intercepted shipments of missile components and drone parts tell a different story. This support has transformed the Houthis from a ragtag insurgency reliant on crude rockets into a sophisticated force capable of launching hypersonic missiles and deploying advanced drones.

The Houthis’ ascendancy is also a product of Yemen’s grim realities. Years of civil war have devastated the country, leaving over 18 million people in need of urgent aid and creating fertile ground for recruitment. For many Yemeni families, enlisting children in Houthi ranks is seen as a means of survival.

The group’s ability to exploit Yemen’s humanitarian disaster has made them resilient. International attempts to weaken them — whether through sanctions, military intervention or economic isolation —have largely failed. The Houthis have weaponized their suffering, framing their resistance as a moral and religious obligation against what they portray as Western and Israeli oppression.

The Houthis are not just Israel’s problem. Their control over Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and proximity to vital maritime routes have allowed them to disrupt global commerce. Their escalation against Israel marks a new phase in their ambitions. By targeting the Jewish state, the Houthis are aligning themselves more closely with the Palestinian cause.

Israel faces a difficult choice in addressing the Houthi threat. Direct military intervention in Yemen is fraught with challenges, from logistical hurdles to the risk of entanglement in another protracted conflict. The Houthis’ ideological fervour and willingness to endure hardship make them an especially intractable foe.

The group’s extremism, coupled with their geographic remoteness, presents a unique strategic dilemma. Unlike Hamas or Hezbollah, the Houthis are insulated from immediate Israeli pressure due to their operational base in Yemen. While Hezbollah and Hamas may currently be subdued, their Yemeni counterparts are proving that Iran’s proxy network remains robust and adaptable. The Houthis have filled a void, not just in the Axis of Resistance but also in the broader landscape of Middle Eastern militancy.