JINSA President Dr. Michael Makovsky on the Houthi Quandary (Fox News)

On October 12, JINSA President and CEO Michael Makovsky, PhD, spoke to Fox News about the latest Houthi attacks, including the group’s October 10 drone and missile strike on Riyadh’s international airport. That attack was the deadliest on Saudi soil since 2015 and killed a U.S. citizen. Dr. Makovsky noted that Iran is the Houthis’ main funder and arms supplier, a role which enables Houthi aggression. He observed that the Houthi slogan is “God is the greatest. Death to America. Death to Israel. A curse upon the Jews. Victory to Islam,” and commented, “It’s not exactly a Disney slogan.”

Noting that Saudi Arabia made a strategic mistake by alienating its key allies in recent months, Dr. Makovsky discussed the way forward, including the possibility of an international counter-Houthi coalition. He also argued that the Iranian and Yemeni fronts cannot be separated: “The more we can weaken the regime in Tehran … the more that’s going to weaken the Houthis.”