The IDF said dozens of Houthi drones launched from Yemen have been intercepted in recent months, highlighting a diminished but persistent threat.
On Thursday, the IDF said that “in recent months, as part of the cooperation between the Air Force arrays, dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles and surface-to-surface missiles launched from Yemen were successfully intercepted.”
The interception of Houthi drones has become relatively rare. It is also seen as routine, to the extent that usually no sirens are sounded, and these interceptions could happen without anyone knowing it.
The only reason the public knows about the continued drone threat from theIranian-backed Houthis is because the IDF continues to tell the public that it is intercepting them. “Earlier today, the IDF intercepted two drones that were launched from Yemen.
No sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol,” the IDF said on September 4. The same week, the IDF also intercepted a drone last Monday. On August 28th, the IDF also said, “a short while ago, a drone launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF.
The target was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory.” On August 22, the IDF noted “a short while ago, sirens sounded in the communities near the Gaza Strip following the identification of a drone launched from Yemen. Interceptors were launched towards the target.”
A protester carries a mock drone as demonstrators, predominantly Houthi supporters, rally to show support to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Sanaa, Yemen February 16, 2024. (credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)
The Houthi drone threat has now become a trickle. In fact, it was always a trickle. Since the Gaza war began, the Houthis have launched numerous drones at Israel. However, they have usually only launched them in small numbers. One drone killed a person in Tel Aviv in 2024.
In general, the Houthi drone threat has not been deadly. The Houthis have sometimes appeared to achieve surprise by getting one of their drones to approach Israel from the Mediterranean. This is complex for them because it means flying more than 2,000 miles to reach Israel.
The Houthis learned to make drones from the Iranians. They initially deployed them against Saudi Arabia. They did this from 2015 to 2021. The Houthi drone threat increased during that era. They became proficient at attacking radars, airports, and other installations.
Drone ranges have extended
The Houthis also extended the range of their drones. They used several types. Some of the drones consisted of a long tube-like fuselage with a warhead and guidance system. These types had long rectangular wings. They were basically a large model airplane. Houthi drones and some of the systems used to guide them, such as gyroscopes, were traced over the years, linking them to Iran and to other countries where Iran exported its drones.
Iran exported key pieces for the drones, such as engines, to Yemen. Iran didn’t usually send the drones in complete form. Rather, like the Houthis’ ballistic missile program, the Houthis learned to build drones on their own.
In January 2021, satellite photos published by Newsweek appeared to show that a new drone threat had emerged in Yemen. The Houthis had acquired the Shahed-13.6, which was capable of flying the distance from Yemen to Israel.
This was clearly aimed at increasing the Houthis’ capabilities to attack Israel. It should have been a red flag, especially in the wake of the Iranian attack on Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia using drones and cruise missiles in 2019. Iran had shown that one could hobble the Saudi energy industry using relatively inexpensive drones and missiles.
The Houthis had similar systems. This was a curtain raiser. Iran and its proxy groups, such as the Houthis, could do the same to Israel.
Iran exported the Shahed 136 to the Houthis and also began exports to Russia. By 2022, Russia had invaded Ukraine and was using Shahed 136s to attack Ukrainian cities. Russia initially used these drones in the dozens, meaning they might launch 20-100 drones a night at Ukraine.
However, by 2025, the Russians had vastly increased their drone capabilities. On the evening of September 6-7, the Russians are estimated to have launched 800 drones at Ukraine. This is a massive and unprecedented number.
Meanwhile, the Houthis launch one or two drones a week at Israel. This illustrates how the Houthis’ drone threat has been reduced to near-zero. It’s never good to underestimate an enemy; however, it is clear that while the Iranians pioneered kamikaze drone threats, they have not been able to operationalize them successfully. Israel’s air defenses have outpaced the Iranian-backed drone threat.