According to AP, the Iran-backed Houthi forces have continuously taken aggressive actions to assert their position in the Middle East in the context of Israel intensifying its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, including a ground attack on October 1.
On September 28, Houthis launched a ballistic missile at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from New York, where he gave a speech to the United Nations.
After shooting down a US Reaper MQ-9 drone on September 30, the Houthis announced an increase in military operations and their main target was Israel.
The Houthis launched a drone that exploded and attacked a cargo ship and fired missiles at another vessel in the Red Sea on October 1, British security and military officials said.
The Houthis' series of actions has once again attracted international attention and raised many questions about the group's goals and strategy.
The Houthis are largely concentrated in the northern region and capital of Yemen, and have great influence in the host country.
Since the war in the Gaza Strip broke out in October 2023, the Houthis have begun attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea - a key waterway for international trade - to put pressure on Israel.
The Houthis were often forgotten and considered less prominent than Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon before the Gaza conflict, said a Yemeni military analyst.
Experts say that the Houthis' position in the region has reached a new height after a series of aggressive moves, forcing the international community to keep an eye on them.
