Politico: Yemenis Reap Strategic Gains Following Trump Agreement That Sent Shockwaves Through Tel Aviv
The American website Politico published a report revealing that the ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump with Yemen sent shockwaves through political and military circles in Tel Aviv. Israel was explicitly excluded from any guarantees regarding the cessation of Yemeni attacks, even as Yemeni missiles continued to strike deep inside Israeli-held territory.
According to the report, the Houthis launched a new ballistic missile toward the occupied lands on Thursday evening, marking the sixth such attack in just one week—despite recent Israeli airstrikes against Yemeni targets.
The report explained that Israel’s exclusion from the U.S.–Yemen ceasefire agreement reflects a decline in Israel’s priority within American foreign policy. A former Trump administration official was quoted as saying, “Israel is not exempt from a ‘America First’ policy,” adding that the agreement emerged from negotiations centered on U.S. interests rather than Israeli ones.
This development prompted Israeli lobby groups to voice their displeasure. Blaze Meshal of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) stated that the agreement exposes “growing rifts between the United States and Israel,” a vulnerability that Iran—Yemen’s chief ally—might exploit to bolster the so-called “axis of resistance” in the region.
The report noted that, according to its sources, the Trump administration concluded that draining U.S. resources in an open-ended conflict with the Houthis was no longer tenable. Instead, it opted to address the “root causes,” which included pursuing a ceasefire in Gaza and negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program.
John Alterman, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), was cited as saying that the Houthis have earned “tremendous credibility” thanks to their ability to “continue striking the strongest military power in the Middle East”—namely, Israel—despite Israeli airstrikes, bombardments, and blockades.
Likewise, a former Trump administration official emphasized that the failure of major powers to contain the Houthis over the past decade demonstrates the group’s battlefield strength and strategic acumen, stating, “Everyone has tried to confront them militarily, and everyone has failed.”
Observers interpret the report as signaling a major shift in the regional balance of deterrence. With Washington’s announcement of an end to direct military confrontation with Yemen, the latter has effectively imposed a new power equation—one based on smart attrition, steadfastness of position, and tangible gains without engaging in direct negotiations.
Furthermore, the ongoing attacks—undeterred by U.S.–Israeli understandings—underscore that the Yemenis are pursuing an independent strategy that elevates the Palestinian cause, weakens Israel’s deterrent image, and forces the United States to recognize Sanaa as a significant actor in the regional security equation, one that cannot be bypassed or ignored.