The Houthis display their ideology plainly on their flag: "Death to America, death to Israel, a curse upon the Jews, victory to Islam!" This slogan encapsulates the defining features of the Shi'ite movement that has controlled large parts of Yemen since 2014 - religious extremism, regional expansionism, and hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people.
For years, the Western world and Israel gave the Houthis limited attention, viewing Yemen as fragile, remote and strategically marginal, situated roughly 1,500 kilometers from Israel. That changed in November 2023, when the Houthis launched a campaign to disrupt maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in response to the war in Gaza. Commercial shipping through one of the world's most critical waterways dropped by approximately half, and Houthi missiles and drones subsequently reached Israeli territory, revealing both their military reach and capacity to inflict damage from significant distance.
Despite intensive military operations by Israel and the United States, the Houthis have maintained their resolve. While their military capabilities have sustained damage and some leaders have been eliminated, the movement has endured and demonstrated regional reach and global disruptive capacity. Even sustained American military action has not compelled them to halt attacks.
The Houthis maintain a strategic and military relationship with Iran but, unlike Hezbollah in Lebanon, remain independent of Tehran's direct control. The weakening of Iran's military power and regional involvement has created space for the Houthis to position themselves as leaders of the regional "axis of resistance."
The West faces a dual challenge. If the Iranian regime survives coming years, military support for the Houthis will likely continue. If it does not, the Houthis possess significant indigenous weapons-production capabilities and ambitions to lead the axis independently.
The Houthi challenge is likely to intensify. The movement combines fanatical ideology, substantial military power and an increasingly sophisticated arms industry. It has already made commercial maritime access to the Port of Eilat nearly impossible and retains the ability to launch attacks against Israel in response to regional developments.
A Houthi leader referred to "hundreds of thousands of our people who will go to Palestine to participate in the holy jihad against the Zionist enemy," Raising additional concerns. After October 7, Israel cannot dismiss an enemy openly declaring ambition to destroy the Jewish state, particularly one that has already demonstrated capacity to surprise.
Israel should establish clear, credible deterrence under which the Houthis pay a heavy price for attacks on Israeli territory or Israeli-linked shipping. The shared threat creates opportunity to deepen cooperation with Gulf states on a sustained campaign to weaken Houthi military capabilities, target military leadership and strengthen local forces capable of challenging their rule.
The international community should reform civilian assistance delivery to Yemen, protecting aid to vulnerable populations while preventing diversion to support Houthi rule or military activity. Political, economic and information measures should accompany these efforts, aimed at weakening the Houthis' grip on power.
The Houthis are not currently Israel's primary threat, which must remain focused on more urgent challenges elsewhere in the region. Yet the requirements of October 7 demand Israel look beyond the immediate horizon, particularly when emerging dangers are already evident. Strategic cooperation with Gulf states should begin now to address the possible expansion of Houthi power.