The Israeli military launched a naval strike on Yemen early Tuesday, targeting military infrastructure at the port of Hudaydah controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, in what it said was the first such operation of the war carried out by missile boats.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the strike came in response to repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory. “The strikes were conducted following the aggression of the Houthi terrorist regime toward the State of Israel, including the launch of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory and its citizens,” the IDF said.
The military said it aimed to stop the use of the port for military purposes, calling it “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 port, which has been previously targeted by Israel over the past year, continues to serve terrorist purposes,” the IDF said. It added that the operation was preceded by “advanced warnings... to mitigate the risk of harm to uninvolved civilians in the area.”
A senior Houthi official, Nasr al-Din Amer, responded to the attack in a post on X. He confirmed the strike was carried out by Israeli naval forces and involved two missiles that hit the pier at Hudaydah. Amer said the operation came after Houthi political chief Mahdi al-Mashat warned that any renewed Israeli airstrikes would be countered by Yemen’s air defenses.
Amer also cited earlier U.S. media reports quoting American military sources, which claimed that U.S. F-35 jets narrowly avoided being hit by Houthi fire. “Have Yemeni skies now been closed to American, Zionist, and other aircraft?” he asked. “The coming days will answer these and other questions.”
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The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. On Monday, the group fired another missile toward Israel, but it failed to reach its target and did not trigger air raid sirens. The most recent Houthi projectile to activate alarms came last Thursday, when a ballistic missile was intercepted over Jerusalem during protests in the capital and in Tel Aviv.
Reiterating its warning, the IDF said: “In light of the Houthi terrorist regime’s repeated use of Hudaydah port for terrorist activity, the IDF warns those present at the port to distance themselves from the area.” It added, “The IDF is determined to continue operating against anyone who poses a threat to Israel wherever necessary.”
First published: 07:47, 06.10.25