Houthi Threat: Response to Israeli Attack is Inevitable

Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis in Yemen, a group supported by the Islamic Republic, stated in a televised speech on Thursday, July 25, that the group's attacks against Israel will continue. According to Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, the Israeli attack on the port of Hodeidah on Saturday, July 30, will not deter the group from continuing its assaults on that country, and the response to this attack is 'inevitable,' with Israel's actions providing more motivation for what he termed 'revenge.' One day after the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv, Israel targeted Houthi positions in Hodeidah with heavy airstrikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that this port is used for importing weapons made by the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also warned that any group that harms Israeli citizens will pay a 'heavy price.' Simultaneously, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz, following Israel's retaliatory attack on Houthi positions in Hodeidah, said: '[The Islamic Republic] is the head of the snake [and] must be stopped right now.' Katz posted on social media platform 'X' that 'Israel dealt a severe blow today to the terrorist organization supported by [the Iranian government] in Yemen.' The Israeli Foreign Minister warned that they will retaliate against any group that attacks them. According to him, the Houthis are part of a 'regional network [composed of] terrorist organizations aimed at attacking Israel,' and the Iranian government provides them with military and financial support. Additionally, Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, described the attack on Houthi positions in Hodeidah as 'a clear example of the capabilities of the Israeli Air Force' and 'a clear message to our enemies,' emphasizing that the Israeli government has shown maximum restraint for a long time but has the full right to defend itself and its citizens and has a fundamental duty to act against anyone threatening its sovereignty. Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of over 250 others, including children, women, and the elderly, Israel launched an offensive against Gaza aimed at destroying this Iranian-backed group and freeing the kidnapped hostages. After this attack, other Iranian proxy groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Yemeni Houthis, began attacking Israel and U.S. positions in the region. In recent months, the Houthis have carried out numerous drone and missile attacks against commercial ships in the region, and in response, the U.S. and its allies have formed an international coalition targeting the positions of this Iranian-backed group. Missile fire from Yemen has triggered alarms in Eilat; Israel claims the Islamic Republic 'endangers global peace.' Heavy airstrikes against the Hodeidah port controlled by the Houthis; Israel responded to the drone attack on Tel Aviv. In reaction to the Houthi drone attack, Israel called for 'crippling sanctions' against the Islamic Republic. A drone attack on a residential building near the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv resulted in one death and several injuries. Claims of participation by the Houthis and 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq' in an attack on a 'vital target' in Haifa, Israel. CENTCOM reported the destruction of seven drones and a Houthi ground control station. The Houthis claim to have used a 'new ballistic missile' in the attack on a cargo ship on Tuesday.