By Yoel Guzansky and Ilan Tayalat
The importance of the attack carried out yesterday by the Air Force in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen will not, as Israeli spokesmen claimed, cut off the arms smuggling route from Iran to the Houthis.
Smuggling will continue and even increase.
The strike will also not deter or stop Houthi attacks, and may actually increase them.
Senior Israeli officials have also stated that this is a message to the region, especially Iran and its proxies (proxies), that Israel will not sit idly by if its citizens are harmed and will know how to attack far from its borders.
However, Iran is aware of the capabilities of the Israeli Air Force.
A demonstration of his skills was not really required.
This was not the purpose of the attack.
The message that Israel sent was intended to reach moderate Arab countries, the West and especially the United States, which for nine months has been leading an international coalition in the Red Sea that is trying to confront the Houthi attacks, while clearly trying to situation does not spill over into a regional conflict.
The message to coalition countries is that “containment” has failed and the Houthis must be hit much harder.
The port of Hodeidah is the lifeline of the Houthi economy and the continued damage it may suffer will make the economic situation extremely difficult, which also faces significant US sanctions.
It should be noted that Israel will have difficulty mobilizing countries in the region to publicly oppose the Houthis, even though some of them, especially Egypt, have been among the hardest hit than Israel by attacks on the trade route. international in the Red Sea.
Arab countries fear a reaction from Iran or its proxies (proxies) and want to stay out of the line of fire and minimize risks.
Agree, the coalition has not dissuaded these Houthis, in fact, it has increased them, it is only a harmless expense, either they attack or withdraw, as the saying goes, "the brave goes as far as the coward will let him go."