[79315] Regional Escalation: The Houthis signal potential participation in the campaign alongside Hezbollah

Growing tension in the Iranian axis: Houthi threat to join the fighting

Following the capture of the Beaufort [Castle] in southern Lebanon by IDF forces, pressure is mounting among terrorist organizations belonging to the pro-Iranian axis. According to reports from the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs (JCFA), the Houthis have conveyed a message to Hezbollah that they are "prepared to join the fighting if necessary." Yoni Ben-Menachem, a senior researcher at the center, notes that the Israeli move has created a "shock effect" on the other side, and that despite Hezbollah's attempts to project confidence, the organization is under heavy pressure.

At the same time, the Arab desk of Shachar Kleiman reports that sources close to the Houthis in Yemen confirm the existence of coordination with Hezbollah. According to those sources, the Houthis declared that "Sana'a will not allow Hezbollah to be isolated," and that any Israeli escalation will be met with a "unified response from the Axis of Resistance." A Houthi military official added that the organization is closely monitoring developments and is considering entering a wider campaign if the clashes escalate.

On the diplomatic front, Ben-Menachem from the JCFA estimates that contacts with the United States are at a dead end due to a hardening of positions by Iran. According to the report, it is the Revolutionary Guards who are dictating the tone toward Washington, including a financial demand of $12 billion as a preliminary condition. The researcher emphasizes that "the Revolutionary Guards are dictating the line toward the US" as noted by the JCFA, which makes it difficult to reach diplomatic understandings, particularly against the backdrop of the explosive situation in Lebanon, which serves as an additional obstacle to any future agreement.