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Yemen continues to launch ballistic missiles at Israel, including over the weekend when they targeted areas further away from the center, but it appears that Israel is for the time being refraining from responding to a request of the U.S., which launched an intensive military operation in the region a month and a half ago . In fact, the last time Israel attacked in Yemen was three months ago.
Israel says there is currently no change in its approach, despite the continuing missile attacks. "The fact that they are firing does not mean anything," an Israeli security source said Sunday. "The American operation is very effective. Some Houthis still have the ability to launch, but they are not able to launch many missiles at a time. Most of the launches are intercepted or fall on the way - from Israel's perspective, the Houthi threat is like a pesky fly, mostly."
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Damage at Ras Issa Port in Hodeiah, Yemen
He said it is difficult to determine when the threat from Yemen will disappear, but in any case "we need patience." In the face of Israel's choice not to respond, the source claimed that "the Americans are doing a good job there, we cannot contribute anything there in an attack." An Israeli source claimed regarding the operation against the Houthis, within the framework of which the Americans also attacked Yemen on Sunday, that "every day for this month and a half, the American attacks are about 10 times what we can do in Yemen in a year."
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Over the weekend, two Houthi drones were intercepted without triggering alarms. On Saturday night, a ballistic missile was intercepted outside Israeli territory. Sirens sounded at 4:50 a.m. in several communities across the Arava and southern Dead Sea regions. Similar sirens were heard the previous night in Beersheba following another Houthi-launched missile, which was also intercepted.
For the past six weeks, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces have been conducting an intense military campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The operation, dubbed Rough Rider, began on March 15 and has so far struck more than 800 strategic targets, killing hundreds of terrorists, including senior operatives, CENTCOM said in a statement released overnight between Sunday and Monday.
According to the update, numerous command and control centers, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing sites and weapons depots have been destroyed. “The operation will continue as long as the Houthis deny the United States freedom of maritime navigation,” the statement read. “Our objectives are clear, but we are deliberately discreet about our tactics to maximize impact.”
CENTCOM also highlighted key achievements: the shutdown of the Ras Issa fuel port; a 69% drop in ballistic missile launches; and a 55% reduction in the launch of explosive drones.
While the statement emphasized the precision and intelligence-based nature of the campaign to limit civilian harm, Houthi-affiliated Yemeni outlet Al-Masirah claimed eight people—including women and children—were killed in recent U.S. strikes on the capital, Sana’a.
Alongside the campaign in Yemen, the U.S. continues indirect nuclear negotiations with Iran. However, the Pentagon stressed the link between Tehran and the Houthi threat. “The Houthis are only able to continue attacking our forces because of support from the Iranian regime. Iran is clearly providing the backing,” CENTCOM stated, vowing to “continue tightening the pressure until our goals are achieved, including restoring freedom of navigation and reestablishing American deterrence.”