Why the Houthis are targeting Jerusalem

Sirens blare across Israel, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They have been triggered by a barrage of missiles, launched from Yemen, purportedly by Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis. The Israel Defence Forces claim to have intercepted two missiles launched from Yemen, while Israeli emergency services say that at this time, there have been no injuries reported.

This threat is only a new one in the most technical of senses. Israel already lives within the range and under the constant threat of missile attack – from Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, from Iran itself and from Iranian proxies in Iraq (and formerly Syria, before the fall of the Assad regime). Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programmes are extremely capable and have absorbed a lot of military spending over the past decade. Iranian deliveries of missiles and drones to its regional proxies have been consistent. Those proxies, including Shia militias inside Iraq, regularly carry out barely deniable attacks on Iran’s regional foes.