An analytical study published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli research center, criticized what it described as “the limited focus by US defense officials on the direct Houthi threat to international shipping and Israel, while ignoring the significant role played by Iran in training, financing and arming the Houthis.” .

The study indicated that "reliable US government agencies published extensive photographs and evidence proving the presence of Iranian weapons in the hands of the Houthis, but military responses to 'Iranian aggression' were rare and weak." He asked, "Will the relatively negative Western and Israeli responses toward Iran (and the Houthis) change when the new American administration takes power?"

The analysis pointed out that “international shipping is always threatened by Houthi piracy. Today, the Houthis have become an armed and dangerous army, which includes more than 800,000 fighters who are trained by the Iranians and Hezbollah. They threaten Israel, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, the American Navy, and international shipping using drones.” Pilot, ballistic missiles, missiles and Iranian anti-aircraft systems.”

He added, “A senior American official at the Pentagon provided an assessment in October 2024 in which he stated, ‘The Houthis possess advanced weapons that can do big things.’ He described them as ‘becoming frightening.’”

He noted that Iranian “civilian” ships in the Red Sea were transferring communications, electronic signals, and intelligence information to and from the drones, conducting surveillance operations, and directing attack missions. It is suspected that these ships were also acting as weapons carriers, dividing the cargo into smaller payloads. On fishing boats to smuggle them to the shore

The analysis added, "The Houthis are Iran's most dangerous and effective agents, especially after the Israeli military campaigns against Hamas and Hezbollah. The Houthis see their mission as relieving Israeli pressure on Hamas. The Houthis are likely to appear on Israel's borders as Iranian exploratory forces."

The study concluded "the necessity of ending the limited responsibility towards all acts of violence against the West, Israel, and freedom of navigation in the Middle East, which is due to Iran, which supplies its proxies with fuel, financing, and weapons." Considering that "Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis" killed thousands, plunged the region into permanent wars, and practically closed shipping traffic in the Suez Canal.