Yemeni Houthis are a low priority for regime in Tehran, Iran expert believes

The ceasefires between Israel and the Iranian backed terrorist militias Hezbollah and Hamas leave the Yemen-based Houthis as the only Iran-backed terrorist group that is currently actively engaged in war against the Jewish state.

However, Benny Sabti, an Iran expert at The Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, believes that the Iranian ayatollah regime cares less about the Houthis than about other terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah. 

“It’s not like Hezbollah or the Iraqis, or maybe even the Syrian regime or proxies that they interfere with all the time,” Sabti assessed. “The Houthis are so far away that they also care less about them,” he continued.

Due to considerable geographic distance between Iran and Yemen, he believes that Tehran expects the Houthis can largely act independently once they receive overall instructions from their ayatollah paymasters. 

Sabti is not merely an academic that is specialized in Iran as his area of professional expertise. Born in Iran in 1972 and fluent in Persian, he grew up under the ayatollah regime. In 1987, he fled Iran for Israel, where he eventually served as a researcher in the Israeli military, specializing in Iranian culture. Later on he played a central role in establishing the IDF Spokesperson's platforms in Persian.

Sabti argues that Tehran wants Israel to be distracted by the Houthi terrorist activities. 

“It’s just a good and positive point for Iran. The more we are occupied with the Houthis, it’s good for Iranians,” he said.

While Israel has for the past year been preoccupied with fighting Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, the Iranian regime has advanced its controversial nuclear program, and experts warn that the ayatollahs could be merely months from developing nuclear weapons. 

While the Houthis act independently, they are still dependent on assistance from the Iranian regime with regard to money, arms and training. 

In January 2024, several Iranian and Middle Eastern sources told the news outlet Reuters the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah have played a crucial role in assisting the Houthis in their attacks on Israel and international shipping. 

"The Revolutionary Guards have been helping the Houthis with military training (on advanced weapons)," an Iranian source said. "A group of Houthi fighters were in Iran last month and were trained in an IRGC base in central Iran to get familiar with the new technology and the use of missiles," the source added. 

Last Saturday, the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles at central Israel. While Israel’s aerial defense systems successfully intercepted the hostile missiles, they nevertheless forced millions of Israelis to run for shelter. In addition, Israel’s International Ben Gurion Airport temporarily suspended flights during the Houthi attack. 

The Houthis announced on Monday following the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas they would largely limit their attacks to “Israeli-affiliated” ships in the Red Sea region. The Houthis have, with the assistance of Iran, attacked over 100 international vessels in the region since November 2023.

The unprovoked Houthi attacks were officially carried out under the pretext that the Houthis are acting in solidarity with Hamas in its war against the Jewish state. 

Like Hamas and the Iranian regime, the Houthis openly call for Israel’s destruction.