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Yemen Has Become a Central Theater of Confrontation between Israel and the Iranian Axis
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - Israeli security officials are preparing for a Houthi response to Israel's operation that eliminated the Houthi government on Aug. 28, 2025. The Houthis continue to launch ballistic missiles and drones from Yemen toward Israel. Senior security sources say the Houthis are today Iran's most active and strongest proxy, and that Yemen has become a primary confrontation zone between Israel and the Iranian-led axis. Israeli intelligence is now making a concentrated effort to acquire high-quality intelligence that will enable targeting the Houthi military leadership. The strategy of striking economic facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen is not sufficient to stop the fire toward Israel. Intelligence cooperation between Israel and the U.S. - which has refrained from direct military action against the Houthis - provided Israel with an important information base. The partnership with the UAE - which perceives the Houthis as a threat to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea - also played a critical role in securing Israeli achievements in Yemen. The Houthis have expanded the range of weapons used to missiles with cluster warheads as part of a clear strategy of sustained military escalation. However, Israel's commitment to expand the fighting in Yemen presents the Houthis with a new military and political challenge. The Israeli strike that eliminated the Houthi government exposed the imbalance of forces. It demonstrated the security vulnerability of the Houthi leadership and caused erosion of its political rule. Senior security officials say the recent outcomes of Israeli strikes in Yemen force the Houthis to undertake a profound reassessment of their war strategy against Israel. The writer, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center.