On July 20, Israeli aircraft attacked the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Yemeni militia Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis. Local media reported a massive explosion at a fuel warehouse and a power plant, killing at least six people. The airstrike was in retaliation for a long-range drone launched from Yemeni territory that struck Tel Aviv on July 19, killing one person.
The Houthi attack achieved a technological and symbolic victory, as the group managed to penetrate Israeli territory, evading Israeli air defenses and inflicting damage for the first time since hostilities began in October 2023. Israel’s decision to retaliate against civilian infrastructure rather than military targets is a sign that tensions in the Red Sea region could escalate into open conflict.
These developments demonstrate not only the failure of the US bombing campaign to deter and degrade the Houthis’ ability to attack Israel and Red Sea shipping, but also the US’s inability to prevent a regional war – its stated diplomatic priority since October 2023.
A victory for the Houthis
The Houthi attack on Israel comes nine months after they began intervening alongside Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups fighting against the Israeli occupation forces. On October 19, they launched a salvo of missiles and drones toward Israeli territory, demanding an end to the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
The projectiles did not reach their target because they were intercepted by Israel’s Arrow missile defense system. Shortly after, the Houthis expanded their attacks to include ships they consider to be linked to Israel or one of its foreign allies, disrupting one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
In December, the United States and some of its Western allies announced the launch of an operation in the Red Sea to try to stop attacks on ships coming from Yemeni territory and secure shipping lanes. But the campaign has largely failed in its mission.
The Houthi attacks have continued at a steady pace and show no signs of abating. On January 10, the group launched 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile, all of which were intercepted by U.S. and British forces. Two days later, allied forces responded with airstrikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.
Attacks on shipping lanes continued, however, damaging and destroying a number of ships. Missiles launched from Yemen continued to target Israel. In mid-March, a cruise missile pierced Israeli air defenses and exploded in an open area near the Israeli port of Eilat. In April, the group joined Iran in its missile and drone attack on Israel in response to the assassination of Iranian officials in Syria.
The fact that the Houthi drone penetrated so deep into Israeli territory on July 19 is seen in Sanaa as a symbolic victory, even in the context of Israel’s bloody retaliation. Such military successes strengthen the group’s notoriety not only in Yemen, but also in the region.
The attacks on Israel have broadened the Houthis’ appeal beyond their Zaidi Shiite base and beyond Yemen, increasing their domestic and international legitimacy.
The Failures of the United States
While there seems to be cause for celebration in Sanaa, there are serious failures in Washington. The US-led campaign against the Houthis over the past seven months has not produced much. But it has come at a high cost.
Since January 2024, the United States has launched salvos of missiles, costing between $1 million and $4.3 million each, against Houthi targets. These costly attacks led Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, to rebuke US President Joe Biden in January: “So you’re going to be faced with a question: How long can we keep firing expensive missiles?”
To date, the United States has lost at least three Reaper drones over Yemen, each costing $30 million.
Estimates of the total cost of the operation range from $260 million to $573 million per month, or between $1.8 billion and $4 billion to date.
None of the actions taken by the United States and its allies in the Red Sea have succeeded in preventing the disruption of shipping lanes. Shipping and insurance costs have skyrocketed.
President Biden himself has admitted that strikes against the Houthis are not working. Yet he has refused to stop them, even though experts suggest that “strategic inaction” may actually be more effective. He has also refused to use the most effective means of stopping the Houthis: pressuring Israel to end the genocide in Gaza. The Houthis have repeatedly made clear that their attacks will stop as soon as a ceasefire is in place.
The Biden administration has instead allowed Israel to commit unimaginable atrocities in Gaza, violating well-established legal and ethical norms. It has also allowed Israel to escalate its attacks not only against the Houthis, but also against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.
On the ground and in reality, she has done nothing to stop an escalation that could turn into a regional war, even though she has repeatedly claimed that she was trying to prevent it.
Now that Biden has made the historic decision not to run again, he will also go down in history as the US president who provoked one of the worst Middle East crises in recent history.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune.