“They are in shock, deep shock. They are not used to being attacked like this,” a senior Israeli security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, referring to the Jan. 17 drone attack on the Emirates claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. “It was an amazing attack in terms of its daring, but they (the Emiratis) managed to intercept three of the five drones. One of them was supposed to hit the Louvre Museum (in Abu Dhabi) and the other one another strategic target.” Although three people were killed and several fuel tankers were destroyed, the Israeli official said “a heavier disaster was miraculously averted.”

Israel is amazed by the world’s indifference to the unprecedented strike. “Everyone knows who is behind this attack,” a senior government minister told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “Everybody knows the Houthis could not have carried out such an attack on their own. Everybody knows that the weapons used were Iranian and the order was given by Tehran. And yet the Vienna negotiations are continuing as usual. You see everyone behaving normally, the Iranians are ignoring everyone and their daring is increasing by the day. It is inconceivable.”

Other than the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Israel appears to be the country most concerned by the attack attributed to the Houthis. The top military and defense brass held lengthy consultations about the strike, analyzing its operational aspects and implications. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and sent him an official letter offering Israeli help. Israel is not too worried by the attack itself, given that it (Israel) is well equipped to intercept missile and explosive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) strikes and has done so in the past. What worries Israel is the world’s apparent indifference, which senior officials are referring to as reckless.

“Iran is in fact being given a license to kill. They keep upping the stakes and see that no one is responding,” the senior minister added. “It started with the lack of American response to the drone attack on Al Tanf,” the minister said, referring to an October 2021 drone attack on the Al Tanf base in Syria housing US forces, “and continues on all fronts. At this point, the Iranians no longer fear anyone. The only state that hits out at them and which they fear is Israel. The US has completely lost its deterrence capabilities, and this will keep getting worse. The Iranians are now managing to bypass sanctions,” the minister said, pointing to the recent Moscow visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a thawing of billions in frozen Iranian assets by the South Koreans under discussion by the sides, and more. “We do not want to even think about daring Iranian terrorism once they get their hands on mountains of cash,” the minister said.