Katz threatens Houthis, Iran with ‘heavy blows’ as Israel grapples with US truce fallout
Defense minister says country must be able to defend itself without American support, warning Tehran it will get the Hamas, Hezbollah treatment unless attacks from Yemen stop
Israel threatened Yemen’s Houthi rebels with “heavy” military strikes and warned the group’s Iranian sponsors that they would suffer the same fate as other regional foes of Israel if attacks on the country did not halt.
Speaking two days after the United States announced that it had reached a ceasefire with the Yemeni terror group, Defense Minister Israel Katz called for Israel to be capable of defending itself even if deprived of American support, as some Israeli officials privately expressed concerns over the ramifications of the US deal.
“The Houthis will absorb heavy blows from Israel if they continue firing at us. The IDF is prepared for any mission,” Katz said in a statement early Thursday morning.
He added that Iran, which is accused of funding and arming the Houthis, would also be targeted, saying an array of other Iranian proxy groups that had targeted Israel since war in Gaza broke out with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault had “collapsed.”
“I also warn the Iranian leadership that funds, arms and operates the Houthi terror organization… You are directly responsible. What we did to Hezbollah in Beirut, Hamas in Gaza, to Assad in Damascus and the Houthis in Yemen, will also be done to you in Tehran,” Katz stated, in comments that echoed previous US threats.
The statement came after Israel carried out two days of heavy sorties targeting infrastructure controlled by the Houthis in response to a missile that struck Ben Gurion airport on Sunday. The fiery reprisals destroyed the international airport in the capital Sanaa, and caused heavy damage to a port in Hodeida and a cement factory, officials said.
Houthis, who have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel throughout the war, most of which have been shot down, vowed to retaliate.
On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said a missile fired by the Houthis crashed outside of Israeli territory. Earlier in the day, the IDF said it downed a drone that may have been launched from Yemen.
The attacks came as Houthi officials made clear that a deal in which they agreed to stop targeting US maritime activity in the Red Sea in exchange for an end to weeks of intense US airstrikes on the group did not include any agreement to stop firing at Israel or at ships linked to the Jewish state.
US President Donald Trump announced the agreement during an Oval Office appearance on Tuesday, with US and Israeli officials saying Jerusalem had not been made aware of the pact ahead of time.
The news was met with “astonishment” in Jerusalem, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday.
“Some are concerned there will be more surprise moves,” the official said. “Others say we should wait and see how this plays out.”
Located over 2,000 miles from Yemen, Israel has limited capability to carry out strikes and put military pressure on the Houthis, with Jerusalem relying heavily on US support throughout the war. Analysts expressed concerns Wednesday that a halt to US military action would allow the terror organization to regroup while continuing to attack Israel.
Officials have also privately expressed concern about US nuclear talks with Tehran hobbling potential Israeli military action against the Islamic Republic.
But Katz indicated Thursday that Israel need not rely on support or backing from Washington.
“Israel must be capable of defending itself on its own against any threat or enemy. That was true in the past and will be in the future,” he said.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the leading Trump loyalists in Congress, indicated Wednesday that Israel would be on its own in defending itself from attacks by Iran and its proxies.
“As to the Houthis continuing to attack Israel — they do so at Iran’s own peril. Without Iran, the Houthis do not possess the capability to attack America, international shipping or Israel,” Graham wrote on X. “To my friends in Israel, do what you have to do to protect your airspace and your people. It is long past time to consider hitting Iran hard. It wouldn’t take much to put Iran out of the oil business.”
Katz’s statement appeared to echo recent threats from the Trump administration that had warned of military action against Iran should the Houthi attacks continue.
According to CNN, negotiations between the US and the Houthis were stimulated by remarks from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who last week posted to X that Iran “will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing” if it continues “lethal support to the Houthis.”
Along with Hezbollah and Hamas, Yemen’s Houthi rebels are part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and its ally the United States.
Hezbollah began launching attacks in October 2023 in support of its ally Hamas following the Gaza-based group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel.
In a year of hostilities that ended with a November truce, the Israeli army all but crushed Hezbollah, while Hamas’s leadership has been decimated in the war sparked by the October 7 attack.
The loss of Hezbollah’s backing was seen as a major factor in president Bashar al-Assad’s downfall in Syria, which came days after the November ceasefire. Iraqi groups thought to be part of the network have also halted attacks on Israel since last year.
In recent weeks, the Iranians have repeatedly claimed they have no control over the Houthis.
Lazar Berman contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.