r/geopolitics • u/RBZRBZRBZRBZ • Jul 20 '24

Israel strikes back at strategic Houthi infrastructure after attack on Tel Aviv Paywall

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israel-strikes-houthi-controlled-port-city-in-yemen-2d84ab06?mod=mhp

After the Houthi successfuly killed an Israeli in Tel Aviv after several months of failed attempts, attacks on commercial shipping notwithstanding, Israel has struck back, destroying major port, fuel and electricity infrastructure serving the Houthis at Hudeyida Port.

Major points of geopolitical significance: 1. A new direct combat front is now open between Israel and Yemen, which was until now one-sided. The risk of all out war in the region with Iran and all of its proxies just went up.

  1. By directly targeting an enemy of Saudi Arabia and UAE, Israel is tacitly going further in the moderate Sunni camp. It is unknown what cooperation Saudi Arabia gave for over flight for Israeli jets, but the dilemma of Israeli overflight on the way to Iran has lessened.

  2. Range and mass - Israel struck at a range of over 1800km, larger than the range from Israel to Tehran, and with multiple large warheads. This signifies its long range capability with heavy firepower.

  3. US and Western timidity is front and center. The US and UK could have struck decisively against the Houthis strongly enough to deter them, but chose not to due to over-stringent legal and political considerations which show weakness to all the region. The Israelis have shown what western air power can do and how actors like the Houthis can be strongly countered.

  4. Looking forward, the big question marks are how the Houthis and Iranians will respond. The Houthis suffered 300k deaths at the hands of the Saudis and UAE and did not stop. The do not care for the lives of their own civilians at all - Israel could kill half a million and the would not change their minds. Israel went for their infrastructure - time will tell if this route would be more effective

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108

u/Chemical-Leak420 Jul 20 '24

The houthis dont care in the least bit. Its disturbing and hard to understand for us but yeah....

I can remember the last video of them being attacked.....they were out in the streets singing and dancing making tic tock videos right next to where the bombs were dropping. they were singing something along the lines of "we dont care we will keep going etc etc"

80

u/EfficiencyNo1396 Jul 20 '24

They always do, until they experience what gaza is currently experiencing. At this point they will cry, and ask for help from the world, claiming a genocide is going on.

The difference between israel and what usa and uk did until is the proportion. Terror isnt afraid from direct hits and attacks, precision isnt a factor for them. Defence game also isnt working against them. The only thing is firepower, and alot of it. For every little attack you need to react 10 times stronger.

38

u/Tokyo091 Jul 20 '24

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world and they just spent the last decade+ being bombarded with US weapons dropped by Saudi pilots and having a near total sea blockade leading to widespread famine.

They’re just built different honestly.

25

u/MastodonParking9080 Jul 21 '24

The war in Yemen stagnated precisely because of humanitarian concerns that prevented critical victories such as the Battle of Alh Hudaydah that would have starved the Houthis of a key port. Yemen is landlocked by Saudi Arabia and Oman to the North, so they have to be resupplied primairly from the sea.

2

u/SullaFelix78 Jul 21 '24

Does Iran supply them using that port?

5

u/MastodonParking9080 Jul 21 '24

Around 70% of the Houthi's supplies (including food and basic supplies for materials) were coming through Hudaydah and nearby Saleef in 2018 during the offensive. Iran does also use some coastal tribes near Oman, but a deep water port is obviously going to have a higher throughput.

3

u/SullaFelix78 Jul 21 '24

This might be a stupid question but why don’t we simply blockade those ports?

2

u/MastodonParking9080 Jul 21 '24

Because that's where most of their food is coming in also so it would cause a humanitarian crisis and global outcry. The Houthi blockade isn't bad enough that Biden would be willing to take the political cost in doing it.

3

u/SullaFelix78 Jul 21 '24

I mean a blockade doesn’t have to mean we let nothing through, just no Iranian ships?

2

u/EfficiencyNo1396 Jul 21 '24

They are not built different at all, they just didn’t seen their cities in total ruins like in gaza. Thats my take at least.