'The distance is truly enormous': Prof. Baram highlights key challenge in combat against Houthis

Baram proposes strategic alternatives to using the Israeli air force to defeat the Houthis, including targeting maritime supply routes and dismantling piers.

By MAYA COHEN DECEMBER 27, 2024 22:24

Yemen's Houthi followers brandish weapons and chant slogans as they take part in a protest against the Israeli air strikes on Yemen on December 27, 2024, in Sana'a, Yemen. (photo credit: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

Israel's recent strikes in Yemen present a complex strategic dilemma requiring renewed consideration, Prof. Amatzia Baram, professor emeritus of Middle East history and director of the Center for Iraq Studies at the University of Haifa, emphasized on Friday in an interview with Maariv.

The strikes targeted the Sana'a International Airport, the Hodeidah port, and other infrastructure.

"The distance is truly enormous, nearly 2,000 kilometers. This isn’t Tartus, Latakia, or Beirut—this is a completely different world," Prof. Baram stressed. 

According to Baram, the strike on Sana'a airport was "very effective," particularly due to the damage to the control tower, which will complicate the landing of Iranian transport planes. However, he noted, "Planes can still land, but it will be very difficult, it will be problematic."

Regarding the port of Hodeidah, Baram suggested a strategy similar to that used in the past. "The piers need to be dismantled, just as we did in 1973 at Syria's ports." However, he underscored the logistical challenge: "The distance—this isn’t Beirut; this is a different world."

Baram proposed a strategic alternative that focuses on blocking maritime supply routes. "If Israel can sink any Iranian ship en route from Iran, somewhere along the way, it doesn’t matter where—even in the Indian Ocean or the Arabian Sea—that would be a very significant contribution, without needing to attack Iran itself," Baram said.

Navy ships of Iran and Azerbaijan move during an exercise between Iran and Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea, Iran, in this picture obtained on November 4, 2024. (credit: VIA REUTERS)

"If we manage to cut off their supply lines, they will simply stop—they’ll run out of ammunition. How long that will take, I don’t know, but that’s the way to do it. And the ideal scenario, of course, would be to convince the Americans and the British to join us in precisely these efforts. They are already there with their navies, the British fleet, the American fleet, stationed off Hodeidah. It’s easy for them; for us, it’s extremely difficult," he added.

Baram refuted the claim that the Houthis operate independently of Iran. "The economy of northern Yemen today is built on Iran—entirely. Northern Yemen doesn’t have much, but what they do have comes from Iran. The weaponry used by the Houthis—all the missiles and UAVs, without exception—comes from Iran."

Approach toward Yemen

Another significant point raised by Baram was the difference in approach toward Lebanon compared to Yemen. "In Lebanon, Israel treated Hezbollah like a cancer threatening the life of the living body. Regarding northern Yemen, the approach is that the entire state is the cancer—not the people, but the entire political organization."

"Five hours of flight, round trip," Baram said, emphasizing Israel's challenge again. "The Houthis know this—they have missiles. Their missiles can reach us. We don’t have suitable missiles for this task. We only have the air force. A missile—you press a button, send it, and go to sleep. The missile will do the rest. The air force doesn’t work that way. It’s nearly three hours one way, three hours back."

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Baram proposed a long-term strategy based on population pressure. "When the broader population begins to feel that this involvement is costing them too much, they will start pressuring them."

He noted that "not all residents of northern Yemen are Shi'ites. The Sunnis don’t want any part of this at all. About one-third of the population in northern Yemen is Sunni, and two-thirds are Shiite."

Another issue Baram highlighted was the humanitarian issue. "Two years ago, the Biden administration removed the Houthis from the list of terrorist organizations because, if the Houthis were still on the list, it wouldn’t have been possible to send food and medical supplies to the residents of northern Yemen through them."

In conclusion, while the current strikes in Yemen demonstrate a degree of effectiveness, the geographical distance and logistical challenges complicate sustained operations.

The proposed solution of blocking Iran's maritime supply routes, combined with internal population pressure, may present a more effective long-term strategy while addressing the associated humanitarian challenges.