{"id":19678,"date":"2026-02-22T10:12:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T06:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/mashreghnews_en\/65255262869328518460\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T10:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T06:42:52","slug":"65255262869328518460","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/mashreghnews_en\/65255262869328518460\/","title":{"rendered":"Yemen&#8217;s Turmoil and Israel&#8217;s Opportunism: Will Tel Aviv Initiate Targeted Assassinations of Senior Ansarullah Leaders?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As Yemen approaches 2025, it stands on the brink of significant geopolitical shifts, marked by the escalating rivalry between former allies, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. This conflict, once a united front against Ansarullah, has morphed into a proxy war over control of Yemen&#8217;s strategic regions and oil resources. Yemen has been embroiled in internal and external crises for over a decade, largely orchestrated by Western powers, led by the United States, with regional proxies like the UAE and Saudi Arabia pursuing their interests.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, Yemen is effectively divided into two major sections: the areas controlled by Ansarullah, which hold power in the capital Sana&#8217;a and northern regions, and the southern and eastern parts of the country, which are predominantly influenced by forces backed by the so-called international coalition.<\/p>\n<p>Tensions between the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and the Saudi-backed government have reached unprecedented levels. Meanwhile, Israel, having recognized Yemen as a &#8216;surprising threat&#8217; since the onset of the Al-Aqsa Storm battles, may resort to unconventional strategies to break the military stalemate.In recent weeks, the southern regions of Yemen have witnessed a rapid power shift. The STC, supported by UAE&#8217;s financial, military, and logistical backing, has swiftly seized control of nearly all eight southern provinces, including vital oil-rich areas like Hadramaut, in an operation dubbed &#8216;Operation Hopeful Future.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>This maneuver directly pits the STC forces against the internationally recognized Yemeni government (PLC), largely supported by Saudi Arabia. The fracture within the former anti-Ansarullah coalition has significantly weakened the central government, effectively paving the way for a bifurcated nation: the north under Ansarullah&#8217;s control and the south under UAE influence. This instability and power vacuum could create an ideal environment for third-party actors, such as Israel, to conduct covert operations with fewer obstacles.Since October 2023, Ansarullah has established itself as the only Arab force consistently and effectively conducting operations against Israel, launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones targeting deep within occupied territories. These strikes have not only targeted infrastructure like Ramon Airport and the city of Eilat but have also severely disrupted the psychological security of Tel Aviv residents, leading to reports that Israelis are losing sleep over the threat of Yemeni missiles.<\/p>\n<p>Crucially, despite possessing one of the region&#8217;s most formidable militaries and Western intelligence support, Israel has failed to contain this threat. Israeli analyses concede that their attacks on Yemeni infrastructure, such as ports and airports, have had minimal impact on Ansarullah&#8217;s will or military capability, as the true strength of this movement lies in its decentralized structure, resistance ideology, and popular support. Thus, Israeli officials note that these assaults will not only fail to deter Yemenis but may actually embolden them in their actions.This may explain why, in a clear paradigm shift, Israel conducted a targeted airstrike in late August 2025, assassinating Ahmed Al-Rahawi, the Prime Minister of the Ansarullah government in Sana&#8217;a, along with several other high-ranking officials from the movement. This operation marked the highest-profile assassination executed by Israel to date, indicating that Tel Aviv is no longer content with merely destroying infrastructure but is now directly targeting the political leadership core of Ansarullah.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding the ongoing developments in Yemen, Dr. Abdulaziz Saleh bin Habtour, a senior member of Yemen&#8217;s Supreme Political Council, stated that the tragic events in the southern and eastern provinces are part of an old-new scheme devised by the aggressive coalition, primarily Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Bin Habtour pointed to direct coordination between the UAE-backed STC and the Israeli regime, as evidenced by the repeated and public statements from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, which signify a dangerous reality of establishing the first official Israeli base in Aden amidst increasing UAE actions serving Israeli interests.He warned that the deceptive propaganda of mercenaries under the guise of a &#8216;project for independence&#8217; in southern Yemen is nothing but a lie dictated by the Israelis and their mercenaries. Any faction aligning itself with the UAE&#8217;s agenda is effectively serving the Israeli project.<\/p>\n<p>Why might assassination become a primary option? <\/p>\n<p>A) Military Stalemate: Israel has failed to deter Yemen from supporting Gaza or to dismantle its missile capabilities through conventional warfare. In such circumstances, assassination operations may be seen as a lower-cost strategy (compared to full-scale war) with high psychological impact.<\/p>\n<p>B) Undermining Leadership Structure: Although Ansarullah&#8217;s military command is decentralized and resilient, assassinating prominent political figures could disrupt internal stability and hinder the functioning of the Sana&#8217;a government.<\/p>\n<p>C) Alignment with Southern Developments: The STC&#8217;s control over extensive areas of Yemen&#8217;s borders and ports may enhance Mossad&#8217;s operational and intelligence access in these regions, especially considering the close ties between the UAE and Israel (Abraham Accords). An analysis from an Israeli think tank (Mind Israel) suggests that the STC&#8217;s advance could disrupt Ansarullah&#8217;s logistics and smuggling networks, creating an opportunity for covert operations.Reactions and Alarming Consequences<\/p>\n<p>Ansarullah leaders have clearly stated that these assassinations will not deter them from their position in supporting Gaza. They have vowed to intensify their operations with &#8216;new surprises.&#8217; On the other hand, this vicious cycle of violence is pushing Yemen, currently the site of the world&#8217;s worst humanitarian crisis, toward an endless war of attrition.<\/p>\n<p>Experts warn that the continuation of this conflict could institutionalize instability in the Red Sea, potentially forcing shipping companies to permanently reroute their paths away from the Suez Canal, an action that would have devastating economic repercussions for the entire region.<\/p>\n<p>At present, experts believe Yemen&#8217;s developments are at a dangerous crossroads. On one hand, the UAE-Saudi rivalry has effectively divided Yemen into northern and southern factions. On the other, Israel, weary from Yemeni missiles, has shown a willingness to embrace risks and escalate tensions through a shift toward assassinating leaders, indicating its readiness to break the stalemate.Should Israel expand its assassination campaign using the unstable southern environment and its relations with the UAE it could ignite an endless regional conflict. Yemen&#8217;s Ansarullah has demonstrated its defensive and deterrent capabilities over the years showcasing advanced equipment and significant operational power proving its ability to respond effectively to threats. In the event of any hostile actions from Israel Ansarullah is prepared to respond decisively and strategically ensuring that any miscalculations by the enemy will be met with a swift and severe reaction. Therefore it is crucial for Israeli leaders not to underestimate the military capabilities and unwavering resolve of this movement in defending its positions and its allies in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recent developments in Yemen have ignited a new wave of conflict, capturing the attention of Israel, which may lead to potential terrorist attacks on Yemeni soil.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":581,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-palestine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/581"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19678\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ghodsnama.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}