The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have stepped up their attacks on Israel, firing three ballistic missiles in the last four days. Though all were intercepted by missile defenses, the pace of the attacks is a notable escalation.
Moreover, the attacks have come despite a Houthi ceasefire with the United States; ongoing talks between the U.S. and Iran on a possible nuclear deal; and Israeli reprisals at Yemen’s Hodeidah port and Sanaa airport.
The Houthis might frame their acceleration as a response to Israel’s renewed offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip — especially as the Houthis did not fire during the temporary ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year.
The Times of Israel noted:
The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025.
By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 39 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
It is unclear how long the Houthis can keep up the pace, since their ability to import replacement missiles has likely been damaged by Israeli and (prior) U.S. attacks. It is also unclear if, and how, Israel will respond.
Both President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said in the past that Iran is ultimately responsible for Houthi attacks. Israel could conceivably use that as justification to attack Iran.
However, that would risk interfering in the ongoing diplomatic effort between the U.S. and Iran — an effort that is not making much progress, given that Iran refuses to accede to demands to stop enriching uranium.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
