Israel-Hamas war: Will Iran escalate or manage the Gaza war? - analysis

In the aftermath of the Hamas October 7 attack, Iran was quick to mobilize all its proxies in the region to begin a combined attack on Israel and US forces in Iraq and Syria. Hezbollah, for instance, quickly intervened but only with limited attacks, attacking Israel with rockets, small arms fire, mortars, and drones. The Houthis in Yemen also have joined the attack, targeting Eilat and then targeting shipping. In Iraq and Syria, the Iran-backed militias have attacked US forces more than 100 times.

Now, Iran may be settling into this conflict. Iran had sought over the last several years to “unify the arenas” against Israel, which meant being able to key in different groups around Israel to threaten Israel. Iran could rely on Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and others.

The arrival of the Houthis on the battlefield is also an interesting phenomenon. The emerging threat from Yemen was known for years. The Houthis' official slogan is “Death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews.” Previously, however, the group was busy fighting the Saudi-backed Yemen government. Now it can focus on Israel. It has based Iranian-style Shahed 136 drones in Yemen since 2021. Its attacks on ships are a new phenomenon. READ MORE