Table Stakes - August 25th

Good morning everyone,

I’m Daniel, and welcome to Table Stakes!

Here’s a look at today’s topics:

• Israeli Military Targets Yemen’s Sanaa After Houthi Attacks

• North Korea Tests New Missile Systems

• Anti-Immigration Protests Persist In UK

Israeli Military Targets Yemen’s Sanaa After Houthi Attacks

_{By: Daniel Murrah, Staff Writer for Atlas}

The Israeli military conducted airstrikes against Sanaa Yemen after the Houthi attacks on August 23-24, 2025. The Israeli military conducted airstrikes on multiple targets throughout Sanaa to combat the recent missile attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthi group. The conflict has spread beyond Gaza into multiple regional areas which affects Middle Eastern stability and impacts global maritime trade routes.

The Operation

The Israeli Defense Forces executed the airstrikes through their fighter jet force which struck major facilities for military electricity supply and infrastructure that supported Houthi military operations. The Israeli military struck the Asar and Hizaz power plants and the Houthi-controlled fuel storage facility as well as a military location within the presidential palace complex and an oil facility and the municipal building area in central Sanaa.

According to the Israeli military the strikes served as responses to continued Houthi missile strikes against Israel and its assets. The Israeli military intercepted the Houthi-launched surface-to-surface missile cluster munition when it reached the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The Israeli forces detected the missile during its flight and destroyed it in the air before the missile could reach the ground.

Political and armed group Ansar Allah, also called the Houthis, has controlled Yemen's capital since 2014 through its governance of significant northern areas of the nation. The political backing and military assistance from Iran enables the group to position itself as protectors of Yemen against foreign intrusions and regional meddling.

The Houthis have launched successive missile and drone attacks against Israel and Israeli assets since late 2023 including hits on Israeli towns and Red Sea maritime routes. The Houthis use their military operations to defend Palestinians while fighting what they perceive as Israeli aggression and Gaza blockade through their attacks on Israel.

Houthi attacks have caused major disruptions to the Red Sea shipping routes that carry $1 trillion worth of annual goods. The attacks emerged during a broader conflict escalation because Israel engaged in warfare with Hamas while Iran backed multiple proxy forces including the Houthis.

Use of cluster munitions by Iranian forces through the Houthis led Israeli authorities to take military action since they considered it a dangerous escalation that extended past the Gaza conflict. The military operation against Sanaa occurred after Israeli forces conducted their first Yemeni infrastructure raid in May 2025 when they struck Sanaa airport and destroyed the terminal building while damaging runways and passenger aircraft.

Casualties and Immediate Impact

A Houthi-run health ministry reported two fatalities with 35 wounded individuals following the August airstrikes. Media from Houthi territory released videos showing facility fires and destruction at sites hit by the airstrikes while reports described strong explosions that created building damage and broken windows in Sanaa's central district. The presidential palace and military academy areas received loud blasts which generated smoke plumes that became visible from central Sabeen Square.

The conflict zone made it impossible to confirm casualty numbers through independent means since Houthi sources were the only available source for information. The infrastructure destruction from the Israeli strikes intensified humanitarian concerns in Sanaa while the Houthis claimed that these attacks worsened the ongoing Yemeni humanitarian disaster which resulted from war and blockades since 2014.

The Houthi organization rejected Israeli military operations because they violate Yemen's national sovereignty and harm civilian facilities. Nasruddin Amer who leads the Houthi media office declared that military operations to support Gaza will continue "God willing" until Israel ends its aggression and removes the Gaza siege. The group maintained that Israeli airstrikes exist to both scare Yemen through punishment for backing Palestinian resistance yet they remain dedicated to conducting military operations.

Houthi leadership declared operational continuity through statements about their survival power while linking Palestinian and Yemeni political struggles. The organization declared its intention to keep launching missiles and drones at Israeli military and civilian targets until Israel ends its Gaza operations and removes the Gaza blockade.

Implications and Response

The longstanding conflict between Israel and the Houthis transformed into a larger regional battle that incorporates proxy forces backed by Iran and direct Israeli military attacks. The current situation poses a high risk of destabilizing an area which maintains crucial importance for both international trade and energy supply routes.

The Houthi faction believes Israeli airstrikes form part of a broader United States-led alliance effort to suppress Middle Eastern resistance movements that back Palestine. The Houthis conduct missile and drone strikes as a show of solidarity with their regional partners fighting against Israeli and Western military intervention while they denounce U.S. involvement in Yemeni and Arab affairs.

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