Israel Launches Naval Strike on Yemen’s Houthi-Controlled Port Amid Rising Missile Threats

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The Israeli military launched a rare naval strike early Tuesday against Houthi military infrastructure at the port of Hudaydah in western Yemen, marking the first time the Israeli navy have been used in direct strikes during the current war. The move comes in response to a series of missile and drone attacks launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels against Israeli territory.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the operation targeted key installations used to transfer weapons and coordinate attacks, describing the port as “a hub for the transfer of weapons” and “a further example of the Houthi terrorist regime’s cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure to advance terrorist activities.”

The strike was conducted after what the IDF described as “repeated aggression” by the Houthis, who have launched seven ballistic missiles and at least one drone toward Israel since the last Israeli airstrike on Yemen on May 28. A missile fired Monday night failed to reach Israeli airspace.

“To mitigate the risk of harm to uninvolved civilians, the operation was preceded by advanced warnings,” the IDF said, adding that it also issued evacuation advisories for the ports of Ras Isa and Salif–though only Hudaydah was struck.

Houthi official Nasr al-Din Amer confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that Israeli naval forces launched two missiles at Hudaydah’s pier. He suggested the strike came in defiance of warnings issued by Houthi political chief Mahdi al-Mashat, who had threatened a retaliatory response should Israeli airstrikes resume.

Amer also referenced recent U.S. reports alleging that F-35 jets narrowly avoided being hit by Houthi fire. “Have Yemeni skies now been closed to American, Zionist, and other aircraft?” he asked rhetorically. “The coming days will answer these and other questions.”

Tuesday’s strike underscores growing Israeli concern about the Houthis’ role in regional instability. Last Thursday, a Houthi ballistic missile was intercepted over Jerusalem amid widespread protests. Though no sirens were triggered by Monday night’s failed launch, the IDF remains on high alert.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning Tuesday, threatening a comprehensive “naval and air blockade” against the Houthis unless attacks on Israel cease immediately.

“In light of the Houthi terrorist regime’s repeated use of Hudaydah port for terrorist activity,” the IDF warned, “those present at the port should distance themselves from the area.”

The strike represents a new phase in Israel’s military posture, extending operations beyond Gaza and Lebanon to Yemen, in what analysts are calling a widening regional front driven by Iran’s network of proxy militias.

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