The Israel-Hamas War: Operation Iron Sword
Iran-Backed Houthis Launch Attacks

Unexpectedly, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who have no territorial dispute with Israel, began firing missiles at Israel and shipping in the Red Sea on November 19, 2023. They claimed it was in support of the Palestinians in Gaza and directed only at ships belonging to Israelis or heading for Israeli ports. Their engagement appeared to be part of an Iranian strategy to force Israel to fight on multiple fronts. Iranian proxies were already attacking Israel from Lebanon and Syria. The Houthis’ actions had a broader impact as their attacks escalated and targeted U.S. and British Navy vessels and ships with nothing to do with Israel. Subsequently, international shipping companies rerouted their boats.

U.S. Navy Engagement and Israeli Missile Defense
International Naval Response
The U.S. and U.K. Intensify Military Action
Iran Directly Involved
Houthi Attacks Continue Despite Western Strikes
Drone Hits Tel Aviv
 

U.S. Navy Engagement and Israeli Missile Defense

Early on, a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Red Sea intercepted four land attack cruise missiles and 15 drones during a nine-hour barrage launched by the Houthis. It was not immediately clear if they targeted the ship or Israel. It appeared the latter was more likely. Elsewhere, in Syria and Iraq, U.S. forces were attacked by rockets and drones.

Slogan of the Houthi movement (top-to-bottom): God is the Greatest Death to America Death to Israel Curse be Upon the Jews Victory to Islam

The Houthis also fired a ballistic missile toward Eilat, which was intercepted outside the Earth’s atmosphere by the Arrow air defense system in its first test of the war and what was believed to be the first combat ever to take place in space.

Israeli Air Force fighters also shot down drones over the Red Sea launched from Yemen. Israel subsequently deployed missile boats to the Red Sea. F-35I Adir fighter jets shot down a cruise missile, the first known cruise missile intercept by the American-made stealth fighter.

A spokesperson for the Houthis said on October 31they had launched three attacks and would “continue to carry out more qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops.”

International Naval Response

On November 8, the Pentagon reported that a U.S. military surveillance drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by the Houthis.

The U.S. shot down a drone launched toward Israel from Yemen on November 15. On November 19, Houthi rebels hijacked a cargo ship they mistakenly believed was Israeli. None of the crewmembers were Israeli. Drones and missiles also were fired from Yemen that were intercepted by the Saudis, Americans, and Israelis.

On November 26, the U.S. Navy responded to a distress call from a tanker hijacked by rebels and captured five armed individuals who attempted to flee in a small boat. The following day, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced two ballistic missiles had been launched from Yemen toward an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden but fell into the sea far from the ship.

After Israel shot down a fourth missile from Yemen, the U.S. reportedly told Israel it would respond to the Houthis to avoid an expansion of the conflict.

Defiantly, the Houthis declared they would target all ships heading to Israel. “If Gaza does not receive the food and medicine it needs, all ships in the Red Sea bound for Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, will become a target for our armed forces,” their spokesperson said.

The French Navy moved into the Red Sea and intercepted two Houthi missiles on December 10.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia offered increased cooperation and investment in Iran if it prevented its proxies from expanding the war beyond Gaza. The deal must not have been accepted because Hezbollah and the Houthis continued their attacks.

On December 16, the U.S. missile destroyer Carney shot down 14 drones launched from Yemen. A British naval ship deployed to assist the region’s defense also shot down a drone.

After repeated Houthi attacks on ships, the three major shipping companies said they would no longer go through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in mid-December. This will interrupt East-West trade, including the transfer of oil. The Houthis claimed to be targeting ships owned by Israelis or heading to Israel, but most of those attacked were neither. One, for example, was destined for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Reuters noted that “Bab al-Mandab is one of the world’s most important routes for global seaborne commodity shipments, particularly crude oil and fuel from the Gulf bound westward for the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal or the nearby SUMED pipeline, as well as commodities heading eastward for Asia, including Russian oil.”

The U.S. and U.K. Intensify Military Action

As 2023 ended, the U.S. Navy became more engaged with the Houthis. Biden had tried to organize a coalition against them, but the Gulf states most affected, including the Saudis, did not want to participate, apparently due to fear of an Iranian reaction. Britain and France moved warships to the Red Sea. Later, naval vessels from India and Italy joined them. Israel already had assets in the area.

During one 10-hour period, the USS Labon and F-18 fighters shot down 12 attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two cruise missiles. The United States and other navies were sticking to defensive measures and did not attack Yemen.

The danger in the Red Sea was heightened by the entrance into the waterway of an Iranian warship on January 1, 2024, a day after the U.S. sank three boats, killing ten Houthis attempting to board a container ship.

As Western forces built up in the Red Sea, the Houthis said they would not attack ships that declared they had no connection with Israel. They warned, however, that if a ship then headed for an Israeli port, it would be seized if it attempted to cross the Red Sea.

On January 11-12, the U.S. and U.K. carried out strikes against Houthi targets, firing more than 150 missiles and bombs at weapons storage areas, radars, and missile and drone launch sites. The action was taken after the Houthis ignored warnings to cease attacks on shipping that forced more than 2,000 ships to change course to avoid the Red Sea and cost Egypt millions of dollars in fees those ships would normally pay to transit the Suez Canal.

The Houthis said they would not cease their attacks and launched another at a U.S.-owned ship. Two days later, U.S. forces hit 14 missiles the Houthis were about to fire. The Houthis were also placed back on the list of terror groups, which Biden had removed them from when he took office.

China became concerned about the impact the Houthi attacks might have on its interests and told Iran to rein in its proxy. If Iran said anything afterward, it did not discourage the Houthis, who continued their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and fired another missile toward Eilat that the Arrow intercepted.

The U.S. and U.K. intensified their strikes on Houthi targets, striking 36 targets in 13 locations on February 3. The bombardment was ratched up in subsequent days, but Houthi attacks continued.

Iran Directly Involved

A U.S. Navy official subsequently confirmed that Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops were working on the ground with the Houthis. The U.S. also reportedly conducted a cyberattack against an Iranian military ship that had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to aid the Houthis.

For the first time, a ship attacked by the Houthis sank. An anti-ship ballistic missile hit the Belize-flagged Rubymar on February 18, 2024, and it sank on March 2. The ship was leaking engine oil and tons of fertilizer, which could cause an ecological disaster in the Red Sea.

The first casualties from a Houthi attack occurred four days later when a missile hit a cargo ship and killed three people. Though the Houthis insist they are targeting Israeli ships and others heading for Israel, the True Confidence was Barbados-flagged and Liberian-owned.

U.S. Navy ships reported intercepting anti-ship ballistic missiles that are “way faster than anything else” and that no military had faced in combat before. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said the USS Carney conducted 51 engagements in six months. “The last time our Navy directly engaged the enemy to the degree that you have was way back in World War II,” she said.

American and British strikes on Yemen failed to stop the Houthis from attacking shipping. In early June, a merchant ship was hit. On June 10, CENTCOM destroyed two anti-ship cruise missile launchers in Yemen that “presented an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces and to merchant vessels transiting the region.”

Houthi Attacks Continue Despite Western Strikes

The Houthis have proven undaunted and continued launching missiles at ships and also began deploying drone boats. They sank a second ship, a Greek-owned vessel, on June 12. On June 22, they posted a music video threatening the U.S., UK, and Israel.

The attacks were increasing shipping and insurance costs. “It is deplorable that innocent seafarers are being attacked while simply performing their jobs, vital jobs which keep the world warm, fed, and clothed,” the world’s top shipping associations said in a joint statement.

“These attacks must stop now. We call for states with influence in the region to safeguard our innocent seafarers and for the swift de-escalation of the situation in the Red Sea.”

Adm. (ret.) James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, called the Western response “anemic” and said the only way to end the threat was to “go ashore and neutralize the attacks before they successfully get out to sea.” He said a successful campaign would consist of four phases: gathering intelligence on Houthi assets, striking Houthi command and control centers, hitting infrastructure used for their attacks, and severing their supply chain from Iran.

Meanwhile, by the end of June 2024, the Houthis had launched more than 190 drone and missile strikes, sunk or damaged four commercial vessels, hijacked another, and killed four sailors.

Drone Hits Tel Aviv

On July 18, an Iranian-made Shahed drone launched by the Houthis hit an apartment building 200 meters from the former embassy, now the U.S. Consulate in Tel Aviv. One person was killed and ten wounded when the apartment was hit. No siren sounded to warn of an incoming threat. The Houthis claimed credit for the attack.

Two days later, Israel launched a strike on the al-Hudaydah port in Yemen, which Israel said was used by the Houthis as an entry point for its weapons supplies. “Operation Long Arm” involved some 20 planes, which had to refuel in mid-air to reach the target over 1,100 miles (1,800 km) away. This also sent a clear message to Tehran, highlighting Israel's ability to strike targets within Iran.

“The port we attacked is not an innocent port,” Netanyahu said. “It was used for military purposes, it was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran. And they used that weaponry to attack Israel, to attack the states of the region, and to attack some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.”

“The fire that is now burning in Hodeida can be seen across the entire Middle East, and that has clear implications. The Houthis attacked us more than 200 times. The first time they hurt an Israeli citizen, we hit them and we will do that in every place that doing so is necessary,” declared Defense Minister Gallant.

The Houthis responded by launching a ballistic missile targeting Eilat that the Arrow shot down.

The U.S. and UK continued to shoot down projectiles, sink suicide boats, and attack limited targets in Yemen. Still, neither was willing to use enough force to deter the Houthis or destroy their capability to threaten Israel and shipping out of fear of provoking a wider conflict with Iran.

Undeterred, on August 22, the Houthis boarded and placed explosives on an oil tanker that detonated and created the potential for a serious oil spill in the Red Sea. Days later, the Saudi-flagged Amjad and the Panama-flagged Blue Lagoon I were attacked with ballistic missiles and drones.

In more than 70 attacks, the Houthis have sunk two vessels, seized another, and killed at least three seafarers.

On September 15, a ground-to-ground missile launched by the Houthis toward Tel Aviv was hit by multiple interceptors from the Arrow and Iron Dome defense systems, causing it to break apart in mid-air. Instead of destroying the missile, parts landed in an open area close to Lod, forming a crater.

Days later, the Houthis confirmed that some of their fighters had arrived in Syria, which they said “is a prelude to a new phase of escalation against Israel.” 

The Biden administration, which inexplicably removed the Houthis from the Designated Global Terrorist list, continued to reject Congressional calls for the decision to be reversed. For example, the Assistant Secretary for the State Department Bureau of Legislative Affairs responded to a September letter on the subject from Rep. Richie Torres, saying that the designation would increase the suffering of Yemeni people.

Reuters reported on September 25 that Iran was engaged in secret talks with Russia to provide the Houthis with anti-ship missiles that would allow the terrorists to more accurately target shipping in the Red Sea.

As Israel ramped up its offensive against Hezbollah, the Houthis renewed attacks on Israel. On September 26, Arrow intercepted a missile launched by the Houthis at Tel Aviv. The following day, the Houthis fired a barrage of 23 missiles and drones at U.S. Navy ships, which intercepted them all.

Following more missile attacks directed at Tel Aviv, Israel attacked the port city of Hudaydah and a power station. 

For the first time, on October 16, the U.S. used B-2 stealth bombers to attack five underground weapons storage sites in Yemen. “This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” Austin said.

The attack also sent a message to Tehran by demonstrating “U.S. global strike capabilities” that could be used for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Houthis were not deterred and continued to fire ballistic missiles at Israel and drones and missiles at ships in the Red Sea. On December 1, 2024, for example, U.S. Navy destroyers shot down seven missiles and drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the warships and three American merchant vessels they were escorting through the Gulf of Aden. No damage or injuries were reported.

Israel continued to shoot down occasional ballistic missiles fired from Yemen, but on December 9, a drone escaped detection and caused a massive explosion after hitting a penthouse in Yavne. It caused heavy damage but no injuries, and the military was investigating why it was not intercepted and no alarm sounded.

In mid-December 2024, the Bank of Israel released a report saying that despite Israel being their primary target, the Houthis attacks have had little impact because Israel’s trade routes with Asia are small compared to most Western countries. Most of its trade is with Europe, which is unaffected by the Red Sea blockade.

Between November 6 and December 16, the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles and approximately five suicide drones toward Israel. After the last of those attacks, a ballistic missile fired at Tel Aviv that was shot down, senior Houthi official Nasr al-Din Amer tweeted, “Traffic at Ben-Gurion Airport has been halted, this will continue as long as the Zionists continue their aggression in Gaza and also in Syria.  We are doing everything we can and making every effort to deter the Zionist aggression against Gaza and Syria, and to achieve peace for our nation, relying on God and with complete confidence in the promised victory.”

On December 19, 14 fighter jets flew 1,240 miles to launch Israel’s third attack on Yemen and first on the capital of Sanaa. The mission also involved bombing ports used to import weapons. None of the pilots were aware that as they were conducting the operation a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis was heading for Israel. That projectile was intercepted outside Israeli airspace by the Arrow; however, the warhead crashed and destroyed an empty school building in Ramat Gan.

As of December 21, 2024, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and 170 UAVs since the start of the war.

December 24 was the fourth straight night of alarms sounding in central Israel after Houthis fired a missile toward Tel Aviv. This was shot down, but as in the previous cases, millions of Israelis were forced to race to shelters. Defense Minister Israel Katz subsequently vowed that Israel would not allow the attacks to continue unchecked and that it would begin targeting leaders of the Houthis.

Two days later, Israel launched airstrikes targeting the airport in Sanaa, several ports, and two power plants. The IDF said it struck infrastructure used by the Houthis to transfer Iranian weapons to the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials.

The U.S. tried to reach an agreement with the Houthis to end their attacks on Israel, but they rejected the idea and reiterated their intention to intensify their attacks. The administration subsequently informed the Israelis of its intention to ramp up military strikes on Yemen, which it did.

Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence discovered that China was supplying weapons to the Houthis in exchange for allowing Chinese-flagged vessels to transit the Red Sea unmolested. This presented a new challenge to Israel and the United States, which were having difficulty cutting off Iranian arms transfers to the Houthis 

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About Mitchell Bard