"They are a crazy factor in the region": The Houthi move – and the warning to Israel

In an interview with N12 magazine, former Houthi spokesman Ali al-Bukhaiti warns that the takeover of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is part of a broader campaign led by Iran, whose targets are not only Yemen but also the US and Europe. According to him, after the current campaign, the Houthis will also threaten Israel with more accurate long-range weapons. Experts note that the Houthis are not a classic proxy and also act for their own goals, while the civilian population pays the heavy price.

In an extensive interview with N12 magazine, former Houthi spokesman Ali al-Bukhaiti warns that the Houthi takeover of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait is not just another front in the Yemeni civil war, but part of a broader campaign led by Iran and the "axis of resistance." According to him, the Iranians were more involved in planning and executing the operation than in any previous campaign, with the assistance of Hezbollah personnel possessing advanced technologies. The goal, according to al-Bukhaiti, is to block international trade routes to pressure Saudi Arabia, the US, and Europe. He assesses that after the current campaign, the Houthis will prepare more accurate long-range weapons against Israel, and even seek to build a chemical or biological weapons stockpile for deterrence. Yemen expert Inbal Nissim-Lovaton notes that the Houthis are not a classic proxy and also act for independent goals, while attempting to connect arenas under Iranian push. Alongside Houthi achievements, heavy ground battles are ongoing in several locations, and the civilian population pays a heavy price of displacement, hunger, and lack of medicine.