ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
Updated:

IDF sources on Thursday expressed surprise that Yemen's Houthis have not yet attacked Israel as part of the wider regional conflict.

It was expected by many in the IDF that the Houthis would join in the attack once Iran's former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated, or if not then, then once Hezbollah joined on Monday.

There has been speculation in the defense establishment that the Houthis are staying out of the conflict since this time the US is involved.

HOUTHI TERRORISTS carry weapons as they stand near the site of Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, in September.
HOUTHI TERRORISTS carry weapons as they stand near the site of Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, in September. (credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)

They might still join conflict

Further, it is possible that they have concluded Iran is too defeated to provide assistance to.

Also, there is speculation that they will still join the conflict.

The Houthis remained in the 2023-2025 war the longest of all of Iran's proxies, continuing to fire on Israel essentially until the October 2025 permanent Hamas ceasefire.