The Houthis remain a significant threat to Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region despite recent territorial gains by forces backed by Riyadh, Yemen expert Inbal Nissim-Louvton told 103FM following a Houthi missile strike on a terminal in the Saudi capital.
Nissim-Louvton, a Yemen expert at Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center and the Open University, spoke with Ron Kofman and Aryeh Eldad on 103FM about the ongoing fighting between Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis, and the limitations facing countries seeking to weaken the terrorist organization.
Asked who was winning the confrontation between the Saudis and the Houthis, she replied: "It depends on whom you ask."
"I think we are still in the midst of it. Just a few weeks ago, the Houthis controlled the port of Mokha and Mayyun Island, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. But now we can see that forces loyal to the internationally recognized government, which are backed by Saudi Arabia, have managed to regain control of those areas."
According to Nissim-Louvton, the fighting remains part of a broader conflict within Yemen.
Houthi control of Yemeni territory complicates Saudi military response
"There is still a certain dynamic to the fighting itself, which is part of the renewed civil war in Yemen and the collapse of the ceasefire between the Houthis and the Saudis, which had held up well until recently," she said.
"I think there is an asymmetry here that has worked in the Houthis' favor in the past and continues to play a role now," she added.
The expert emphasized that the Houthis' capabilities extend well beyond their missile arsenal, making them a persistent challenge for several countries in the region.
"The terrorist organization has more than just ballistic missiles. It is an organization that possesses the apparatus of a state, including the economic capabilities of a country, albeit a poor one like Yemen, but nevertheless," she said.
"They manage to control a considerable amount of territory in a country, with more than 50% of Yemen's population, and that makes them a major headache for the Saudis, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel."
Nissim-Louvton also explained that countries confronting the Houthis face significant limitations when attempting to strike infrastructure under the group's control, particularly ports essential to Yemen's civilian population.
"You can strike these ports only up to a certain point because they are the lifeline of most of Yemen's population. When you strike them beyond the limits that allow normal life to continue there, in the context of the civil war, you are effectively imposing a major humanitarian disaster on the population," she said.
Addressing the impact of the situation in Yemen and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Egypt, Nissim-Louvton noted that disruptions to maritime traffic have consequences beyond the countries directly involved in the fighting.
"Egypt was the main country harmed by the previous blockade or earlier rounds of fighting. This should be a headache for the international community because there is damage to and a violation of the security of freedom of movement along a maritime transport and trade route," she concluded.