Mossad has penetrated the Houthis –and the Saudis may have helped

“This is a step up, that's clear. It reflects, first of all, an intelligence penetration. This means there is progress; the step up is likely on both the intelligence and operational levels," said Rabi.

He argued the strike was designed to have a profound psychological impact on the Houthi regime, reminiscent of Israel's previous decapitation strikes against Hezbollah's leadership in 2024

"You throw the Houthis into a cognitive state where they are on the defense, being pursued. What they thought could not happen is now happening,” Rabin told JNS.

He argued that the strike sends a powerful message to the Houthis that their continued attacks on Israel will be met with an exponentially more lethal response over time.

“This is very important because it tells the Houthis that just because they fire on Israel and Israel responds on Hodeidah and the ports, this is not a permanent story,” Rabi stated. “Israel has a response capability that is becoming more assertive and more lethal. This is undoubtedly a landmark.”

The operation also serves as a warning to other jihadist adversaries in the region. “This is also meant to signal to everyone in the Middle East who is toying with the thought of maybe doing a round against Israel, that the price of an Israeli strike can be very high. That it's not worth testing it,” he said.

Rabi assessed that the strike would be received positively in Saudi Arabia, which had been terrorized for years by the Houthis in the form of missile and drone attacks, and suggested there could be ongoing intelligence cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia against their common Houthi enemy.

For Iran, already beset by numerous other crises, any new direct conflict would be the last thing it needs, Rabi said. The Islamic Republic did, however, benefit from the actions of the Houthis, he added, describing them as a "remnant that preserved some sort of consistent action against Israel."

The Israeli operation followed a Houthi drone attack that was intercepted earlier on Thursday and a missile launch towards Jerusalem intercepted early on Wednesday. That attack triggered air raid sirens across a large, populated area of central Israel, including Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Lod, Ramle, and Judea and Samaria.

The IDF confirmed that its aerial defence array successfully intercepted the missile and that there were no casualties or damage.

Significant Israeli airstrikes on the Houthi capital of Sanaa took place on Sunday, involving, according to an IDF official, over 10 Israeli Air Force fighter jets flying approximately 2,000 kilometers from Israel’s borders in a 5.5-hour mission that required several mid-flight refuelings.

According to the IDF, the jets struck military infrastructure of the Houthi regime in the Sana’a area, including a military site located within the presidential palace compound, the Asar and Hizaz power plants, which supplied electricity for military activities, and a fuel depot, which was likely tied to the Houthis’ missile industry.

The long-range nature of the conflict was highlighted by IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, during a visit to the Israeli Navy on Sunday. “We are in a multi-front war, at sea, in the air, and on land,” Zamir stated. “Simultaneously, we are also operating thousands of kilometers beyond our borders. There are threats from every arena and in every dimension, and we must constantly act to weaken and thwart them.”

He praised the Israel Navy’s role as Israel’s “long-range arm for strategic depth operations,” noting that it had carried out “covert and essential operations for the security of the state throughout the Middle East.”

Last Friday, according to an IAF official, a missile fired by the Houthis “most likely contained several sub-munitions which were intended to be detonated upon impact.”

This was the first time such a weapon was launched from Yemen toward Israel, though the official stressed that the IDF Aerial Defence Array was capable of dealing with it.