“Iran’s goal was to restore its credibility and inflict retribution on Israel while reducing the risk of further escalation,” said Hasan Alhasan, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The range showed by Houthi missiles holds US bases at risk, and both China and Russia are watching closely to see what happens, experts say.

As the US and Israel contend with multiple Iranian proxy groups in the Middle East, Joseph Votel told Breaking Defense the US must “hold [Iran] accountable.”

“The Houthi disruptive capability… is not a new phenomenon,” one expert told Breaking Defense.

Analysts say there are three overarching questions: Whether Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas is realistic, whether another front in the war will explode, and what the long-term regional fallout from the operation could be.

Saudi Arabia is making a push for nuclear power as part of any US-brokered pact with Israel – and Riyadh won’t be shy about seeking what it wants.

The threat from Iran helped drive the decision to send the USS Bataan Amphibious readiness Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region earlier this year.

The US remains the major player in the region, but there are reasons to be nervous about both Europe and South Korean firms moving in.

With their deadly use, Iranian drones also reveal their weaknesses and Tehran may not get much in return, senior UK official says.

“In the ongoing confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah/Iran, the former has achieved a tactical success, while the latter has gained a strategic one,” said Gawdat Bahgat of the National Defense University in Washington.

After Israel announced cooperative defense with Arab nations, many questions remain unanswered.

In 2021, the US seized “three times the amount of weapons interdicted in 2020,” NAVCENT head Vice. Adm. Brad Cooper told Breaking Defense.

Ukranian firm Practika had three armored vehicles on display at the Saudi World Defense Show this week. When the show ends, they’ll head back to Ukraine – and the fight against Russia.

“We like to think that there will be contracts [with Saudi Arabia] announced before the end of the year. But the acquisition process here goes through its own speed. It will be a direct commercial sale,” said Charles Davis, senior vice president at L3Harris International.

A Boeing executive said the Saudis have successful used their F-15SA to “kill” cruise missiles fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemen, a missile defense capability that the Kingdom needs.