Iran’s proxies in Yemen, the Houthis, pledged Saturday night to strike “vital targets” in a “harsh response” following a massive Israeli Air Force attack a few hours earlier at the Port of Hudaydah.
Arab media reported that “about 25 F-35 [Israeli] warplanes” carried out the strikes on oil tanks and fuel tanks near the electricity station at the port.
“The brutal “Israeli” aggression on Yemen by targeting civilian facilities, oil tanks, and the power station in Hudaydah aims to double the suffering of the people and pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza. This is a dream that, Allah willing, will never come true,” Houthi (Ansarallah) spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam said in a statement Saturday evening following the attack.
“We affirm that this brutal aggression will only increase the determination, steadfastness, and escalation of the Yemeni people and their brave armed forces in supporting Gaza.”
Ansarallah Media Authority Vice President Nasr El-Din Amer said in a separate statement that the terror group will “assess the damages” from the attack.
“Yemen’s stance with Gaza is firm and will not change, and Yemeni operations supporting Gaza will not stop. The response to this aggression is inevitable,” he said. “The response to the Americans and “Israelis” will be harsh,” he threatened.
It’s not clear why the “Americans” were included, inasmuch as the White House had issued a statement emphasizing that “Israel acted alone” in the attack.
The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarieh, likewise warned that “the Yemeni army will respond to this aggression and will not hesitate to hit the enemy’s vital targets.”
Hezbollah: ‘New and Dangerous Phase of Confrontation’
Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, offered praise and condolences to its fellow Iranian proxy in Yemen in response to the attack.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the honorable and free Yemeni people, a people of pride and resistance to oppression, to its brave and wise leadership, and to the families of the martyrs and the wounded for the noble martyrs who fell on the path to Al-Quds in support of our oppressed Palestinian people and its steadfast and honorable resistance,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
“We believe that the foolish step taken by the Zionist enemy heralds a new and dangerous phase of confrontation of immense importance across the entire region,” the terror group said, but made no military commitment.
“We have full confidence that the Yemeni leadership, with its knowledge, courage, and strength, is capable of taking the appropriate and necessary steps to deter this enemy and its regional and international allies,” Hezbollah said.
Hamas Offers Sympathy but Little Else
Fellow Iranian proxy group Hamas offered condolences and sympathy to their Yemeni “brothers” in a statement issued by Hamas political bureau member Izzat Al-Rishq.
“Yemen and its people, especially the brothers in Ansarallah, are paying the price for their stance of honor, dignity, and defense of Palestine and the Palestinian people who are being subjected to a Nazi genocide in the Gaza Strip,” Al-Rishq said.
“The occupation state will undoubtedly suffer from the fire that ignited in Hudaydah today, and the accumulation of Zionist crimes means changing the dynamics of the entire equation,” he added.
Other than sympathy, Hamas offered no support. The terrorist group has been decimated by Israeli forces in Gaza since slaughtering 1,200 people and abducting 250 hostages upon invading southern Israel on October 7th.
Hundreds of Houthi Attacks Since October 7
In addition to hundreds of attacks on commercial vessels in the international shipping lanes of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Houthis have launched 220 missiles and explosive suicide drones towards Israel since the start of the war launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7th.
Most of the weapons and drones were manufactured by Iran, and many of the launches were guided by Iranian military personnel who stood alongside their Houthi proxies.
‘No Intention of Attacking the Yemeni People’
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari noted in a briefing Saturday night that the attacks by the Houthis are “financed and directed by Iran, with Iranian military personnel, and included 220 launches towards Israel since the beginning of the war.
“We have no intention of attacking the Yemeni people,” he said. “The Houthis, directed by Iran, attacked dozens of ships, their terrorism is controlled by Iran and it harms the Suez Canal and world trade.”
