Netanyahu: We Will Treat Houthis Like Other 'Terrorist Arms' of the Iranian Regime

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated on Sunday, December 23, that the country will act against the Houthis just like it does against other 'terrorist arms of the Iranian regime... with power.' Netanyahu added that Israel will not act alone against the Houthis, as the United States and other countries also view the Houthis as a threat 'not only to international shipping but to global order.' The Prime Minister emphasized, 'We will act with strength, decisiveness, and intelligence. Even if it takes time, the result will be similar to our actions against other terrorist arms.' In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Sunday, he mentioned that Israel's extensive attacks in October against the positions of the Islamic Republic severely surprised the regime, and the destruction of their air defense systems shocked Iranian leaders. He also stated, 'Israel's airstrikes on the Islamic Republic on October 26 have severely weakened the regime's ballistic missile production capability and made the revival of this capability difficult.' He added, 'At the same time, Israel has been able to significantly weaken the Islamic Republic's support network for its proxy forces in the region.' Netanyahu's threat against the Houthis comes as the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that U.S. fighter jets targeted Houthi missile storage facilities and command centers in Sanaa on Saturday night, December 23. According to CENTCOM, the air force, using F-18 aircraft and naval vessels, completely destroyed a missile storage center and a command and control center operated by the Houthis in their controlled territory in Sanaa. The report stated that CENTCOM forces also destroyed several drones and a cruise missile launched by the Houthis over the Red Sea during this operation. CENTCOM carried out these attacks to disrupt and weaken Houthi operations to prevent further attacks against U.S. Navy warships and commercial vessels in the southern Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis, a group supported by the Islamic Republic, launched a missile attack on a public park in southern Tel Aviv on Saturday, injuring 16 Israeli citizens, including a 3-year-old girl. The group also carried out two missile and drone attacks against Israel on the previous Monday and Thursday. Following the attacks on Thursday, Netanyahu stated that Israel is striking the last arm of the 'axis of evil' of the Iranian regime on behalf of the international community.