Latest Developments
A senior leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen warned on July 23 that Israel had “opened the gates of hell” in the wake of its unprecedented July 20 air strike on the terrorist organization. In remarks reported by Iran’s state media, Hizam al-Assad, a representative of the Houthis political bureau, stated that as a consequence of the retaliatory strike on the port of Hudaydah, “Yemenis will inflict unique blows upon the occupied territories and the interests of the Zionist regime.”
In the same statement, the Houthi leader threatened unnamed Arab countries that allegedly assisted Israel in carrying out the strike, declaring “a response to you is coming.” The current round of tension between Israel and the Houthis was sparked by the launch of a Houthi drone against Tel Aviv on July 19, in which one person was killed. The Houthis have referred to their recent attack as the “fifth phase” of operations against Israel, after beginning their attacks on the Jewish state in the days following the October 7 Hamas massacre.
Al-Assad’s comments came as the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency published a report documenting the role of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in supplying weapons to its Houthi proxy.
Expert Analysis
“Iran is seeking to encircle Israel with live threats by prodding the Houthis, Hezbollah, and its proxy militias in Iraq to carry out coordinated attacks on Israel. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, Tehran has sought to unify all these groups into one cohesive front that can threaten Israel from a variety of directions by using Iranian-linked technology, such as kamikaze drones.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow
“The DIA report confirms what Iran and Houthi analysts have long suspected: Tehran is clandestinely providing weapons to its Yemeni client for the explicit purpose of expanding the regime’s influence in the region and bolstering one of the chief actors in the Axis of Resistance.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
DIA Report Showcases Iranian Weapons Supply
The DIA’s report, “Seized at Sea: Iranian Weapons Smuggled to the Houthis,” provides a visual comparison of Iranian weapons and weapon components interdicted in transit to the Houthis on January 11 and January 28. “Photographs of missiles displayed by the Iranians—as well as debris acquired from previous Houthi attacks, compared with those of the interdicted materiel—strongly indicate their Iranian origin,” the report noted. According to the report, the weapons include anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and anti-tank guided missiles. Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, meanwhile, reiterated the Islamic Republic’s support for the Houthis on July 23, praising the terrorist organization’s determination “to stand alongside the oppressed Palestinians as historic and a source of pride for the Islamic Ummah.”
“In Long-Range Strike, Israel Bombs Houthi Port in Retaliation for Tel Aviv Drone Attack,” FDD Flash Brief
“Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Claim Drone Strike on Tel Aviv,” FDD Flash Brief
“Israeli Schools in Hezbollah Firing Line Won’t Open in September, Education Minister Says,” FDD Flash Brief
Subscribe to FDD Flash Briefs