So they are not “violent extremists?”

AMMAN, Jordan — At first glance the official slogan and emblem of the Houthis, who are now the dominant force in Yemen, does not offer much hope to American policy makers.

It includes the words “Death to America, death to Israel, damnation to the Jews.” Houthis shout it when they march, wear it on arm patches, paint it on buildings and stick it onto their car windows. When pictured, those words are rendered in red, framed by “God is great” and “Victory to Islam” in green, on a white background.

Sometimes the red words are shown dripping blood.

But for all their harsh sloganeering, the Houthis may be a lot more moderate than it suggests, according to many diplomats and analysts who have followed them closely. They say it would be premature to dismiss them as Yemen’s Hezbollah, despite their alliance with Iran.

While Obama administration officials in Washington insisted that counterterrorism operations in Yemen against Al Qaeda, including armed drone flights, would continue despite the Houthi takeover, there were indications that given the political turmoil some specific missions and training might be suspended, reduced or altered on a case-by-case basis.