The Iranian proxy that grew stronger while everyone else weakened: the threat worrying the Middle East
The Houthis have grown stronger while Hamas and Hezbollah weakened, becoming Iran's most powerful arm. An INSS researcher explains how the organization exploits Yemen's poverty as a strategic advantage, threatening Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the global economy with unsophisticated missiles produced in the mountains.
The Houthis in Yemen have significantly strengthened while Hamas and Hezbollah weakened, becoming Iran's most powerful arm in the Middle East. Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), explains that the organization exploits Yemen's status as one of the world's poorest countries as a strategic advantage. The Houthis rely on an ideological support base willing to endure economic pain and isolation in exchange for inflicting heavy damage on Saudi Arabia and the global economy. According to Guzansky, all that is needed to hit Riyadh's airport is a not particularly sophisticated surface-to-surface missile, which can be assembled in small factories in the mountains. With the weakening of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis have become a vital pillar in Iranian strategy, providing Tehran with a durable and cost-effective means of projecting power far from Yemen's borders. The article cites only one source — an INSS researcher — and does not include voices from official Saudi, American, or Israeli sources.