The Iranian-backed Houthis are proving to be a stubborn problem for the United States and its allies. Ever since Hamas's October 7 massacre and Israel's subsequent offensive in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis, a Shiite rebel group that controls a substantial portion of Yemen after a nearly decade-long civil war, have lashed out at Israel and tried to use their perch on the Red Sea to disrupt business as usual. They have attacked commercial and military ships in the region, stirring a U.S.-led coalition to try to rein them in. But the best efforts of this coalition have failed to deter the Houthis. After a brief slowing in April and May, the pace of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea ratcheted up dramatically in June, posting the largest total since last December. July's barrages have only underlined the tenacity of a group that does not seem ready to relent.
On July 19, the Houthis successfully struck Tel Aviv with an Iranian-manufactured drone, killing one person and injuring at least ten others. It was the first time the Houthis had been able to hit Israeli territory after months of trying to do so. The Houthis have also claimed responsibility for attacks on the port of Eilat in southern Israel. Shaken, Israel retaliated by targeting oil tanks and other infrastructure in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, killing nine people and injuring dozens more.…
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