• Iran reportedly tells Houthis to close Bab al Mandeb Strait if US strikes power grid

    Reuters reported that Iran’s leaders instructed the Houthis in Yemen to close Bab al Mandeb Strait, the maritime chokepoint at the southern end of the Red Sea, if the United States strikes Iran’s power infrastructure. The Houthis are also focused on an escalatory cycle with Saudi Arabia that began after Iran and the Houthis attempted to re-establish direct flights in early July.

    Iran reportedly tells Houthis to close Bab al Mandeb Strait if US strikes power grid
  • Israeli Air Force bombs sites in Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthis

    In response to the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv yesterday, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes against Houthi targets in Hudeydah, Yemen.

    Israeli Air Force bombs sites in Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthis
  • IDF uncovers 6 tunnels in Gaza’s Shejaiya neighborhood; Hezbollah rockets kill 2 Israelis in the north

    Two Israelis were killed in a Hezbollah rocket barrage targeting the Golan Heights on July 9. Hezbollah claimed the attack was in response to the killing of one of its members. Israel faces multi-front threats, including from the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The IDF uncovered six tunnels in the Shejaiya neighborhood in north Gaza and demolished them, the IDF said on July 9.

    IDF uncovers 6 tunnels in Gaza’s Shejaiya neighborhood; Hezbollah rockets kill 2 Israelis in the north
  • Analysis: An Iranian SAM in the Arabian Peninsula

    Last week, the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington D.C. released a nine-page primer on Iran’s continued support to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Buried within the same document was photographic evidence of Saudi Arabia’s latest charge against Iran: the provision of the Sayyad-2C surface-to-air missile (SAM) to Houthi rebels.

    Analysis: An Iranian SAM in the Arabian Peninsula
  • Resolving the Conflict in Yemen: U.S. Interests, Risks, and Policy

    On March 9, Thomas Joscelyn testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The hearing, “Resolving the Conflict in Yemen: U.S. Interests, Risks, and Policy,” was called to explore the political dynamics of the ongoing war in Yemen, as well as the roles played by foreign actors and al Qaeda.

    Resolving the Conflict in Yemen: U.S. Interests, Risks, and Policy