Israel Urges US to Resume Strikes on Houthis
Israel has urged the U.S. to resume strikes on Yemen’s Houthis and form a broad coalition after renewed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea killed four. The Iran-backed group vows to keep targeting Israeli-linked ships amid Gaza war, reports The Times of Israel.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Israel has urged the United States to restart military operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels and to lead a broader international coalition in response to renewed Houthi assaults on maritime traffic in the Red Sea, according to a report by The Times of Israel, citing the Kan public broadcaster (The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation).
The call for renewed action comes in the wake of intensified Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, which have claimed at least four lives this week. The Iran-backed group, which controls significant parts of Yemen but lacks international recognition, had previously halted attacks following a ceasefire with the US in May. However, that truce appears to have broken down.
According to The Times of Israel, Israeli officials conveyed to Washington that the Houthis' continued aggression "can no longer remain solely an Israeli problem." The report, which coincided with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the US capital, did not specify the level at which the message was delivered.
Quoting an unnamed security official, Kan reported that Israel is pushing for "more intense combined attacks against Houthi regime targets — not just [Israeli] air force fighter jet strikes, but also a renewal of American attacks and the formation of a coalition including additional countries." The source stressed that a broad international response is necessary to deter the Houthis and communicate the seriousness of the threat.
In addition to the maritime attacks, the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Israel on Thursday. The first was intercepted outside Israel’s borders, while the second fell short of its target and did not trigger warning sirens, according to the Israeli military, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi vowed on Thursday to continue targeting vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea. He linked these actions to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, declaring that the attacks would persist “as long as the aggression and siege of Gaza persist.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also weighed in, urging Iran to rein in the Houthis. “We condemn this in the strongest possible terms and expect Iran to exert its influence on the Houthis to put an end to it,” he said during a press conference in Vienna alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts. Wadephul emphasized the broader need for engagement with Iran regarding its regional behavior, in addition to its nuclear ambitions.
As The Times of Israel notes, from November 2023 to December of the same year, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships using missiles and drones, claiming solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. That war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a surprise assault on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Following their involvement in the conflict, the Houthis became the target of a US-led airstrike campaign under President Donald Trump. That campaign ended with the May ceasefire, which has since collapsed amid the latest round of hostilities.
The situation remains tense, with growing calls for international coordination to address the escalating threats to regional maritime security.
