Israel Launches Strategic Strikes on Houthi Leadership Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions

Israel has escalated its military campaign against Iran-backed groups and proxies across the Middle East, including striking Houthi-linked targets in Yemen's capital Sanaa following a Houthi drone attack on Israel's Red Sea resort of Eilat. Israeli airstrikes have targeted key Houthi installations and high-level political figures, including the killing of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghalib al-Rahwi, signaling a dangerous intensification of conflict between the two sides. Concurrently, Israel has conducted a sweeping campaign of precision strikes that have decapitated leadership within Iran's proxy forces, notably Hezbollah, killing senior commanders such as Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and his successor Hashem Safieddine to disrupt their operational capabilities. In a broader regional context, Israel's September 2025 strike against Iranian nuclear and military facilities, labeled Operation Roaring Lion, was justified by Israel as preemptive defense against nuclear threats; however, international assessments question the legitimacy of this justification due to lack of credible evidence of an active Iranian nuclear weapons program. These actions reflect a shift toward normalization of preemptive war in global politics, raising concerns about the erosion of legal and ethical limits on military force and the increased risks posed by advanced weapon technologies. The ongoing conflict underscores the complex dynamics of Israel's efforts to counter Iranian influence and its proxies across multiple fronts, intensifying regional instability.