Tensions are reaching a boiling point in the Middle East as Israel urges the United Nations Security Council to take decisive action against Yemen’s Houthi forces. In a forceful appeal, Israeli officials argue that the Iran-backed group now represents a heavily armed terrorist army that endangers not only regional stability but the entire global order.
Israel Calls for Houthi Terrorist Designation
Speaking before the Security Council, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon made the case for classifying the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. Such a move, he contends, would make it more difficult for Iran to provide material support to the group without facing additional economic sanctions.
“Let me make one thing absolutely clear; we have had enough. Israel will not stand by and wait for the world to react. We will defend our citizens.”
– Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the UN
Houthi Threat Extends Beyond Middle East
Ambassador Danon portrayed the Houthis as more than a regional menace, asserting that the group’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea nearly strangled the critical Suez Canal trade route. With an alleged annual budget of $1.2 billion, the Houthis have evolved into a formidable fighting force.
Israel reports that the Houthis have launched some 300 attacks against Israeli cities this year alone, terrorizing millions of civilians. “The Houthis were no longer a regional threat, but a threat to the world order,” Danon declared to the council.
Divisions Emerge Over Israeli Strikes in Yemen
While Security Council members broadly condemned recent Houthi attacks on Israel, a number also criticized Israel’s airstrikes against Yemeni infrastructure. The raids, which Israel called retaliation for Houthi bombardments, killed at least nine Yemeni civilians.
The strikes nearly killed World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during his visit to Sanaa, drawing particular alarm. “Israel’s action must be consistent with their obligations under international law including protection of civilians,” cautioned UK envoy Barbara Woodward.
Israel Signals Readiness for Major Offensive
Ambassador Danon’s sharp rhetoric suggests Israel is laying the groundwork for a larger-scale military campaign against Houthi forces. Israel is banking on support from the incoming US administration to pursue a hard line in Yemen.
Israel called on the UN to interdict Iranian arms shipments to Houthi-controlled ports and strengthen its weapons embargo. “If they are in areas where Houthis are, they should be careful because we will not sit idly by,” Danon warned humanitarian groups operating in Yemen.
Russia Slams Israeli ‘Military Aggression’
Russia offered the most pointed criticism of Israel’s recent airstrikes. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya rejected Israel’s self-defense claims, alleging the attacks were part of Western aggression against Yemen’s sovereignty.
“These attacks are not owing to self-defence, but are part of military aggression against a sovereign state by the collective West.”
– Vasily Nebenzya, Russian Ambassador to the UN
Houthis Vow More Attacks If Gaza Fighting Persists
For their part, the Houthis have openly declared that attacks on Israel and its interests will continue as long as the war in Gaza rages on. Houthi leaders have ominously hinted that strikes on Israeli cities could be a prelude to targeting Israel’s nuclear facilities.
Israel’s campaign for decisive action against the Houthis comes as the Middle East teeters on the brink of a wider conflagration. Regional stability may hinge on whether world powers can rein in the spiraling Israel-Houthi conflict before it ignites a new crisis in this volatile part of the globe.
