Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes against Yemen’s Iranian proxies, the Houthis, on Sunday afternoon, the IDF confirmed.
Israeli fighter pilots are seen above as they climbed into the cockpits of their F-15 warplanes at the Tel Nof Air Base prior to takeoff to carry out the attack.
That used to be a port used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
But then the Houthis started firing missiles at Israel so now they don’t get to have a port anymore. pic.twitter.com/RqTUR0uto6
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) September 29, 2024
“Today (Sunday), during an extensive, intelligence-based aerial operation, dozens of IAF aircraft — including fighter jets, mid-air refueling aircraft, and intelligence aircraft struck military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the Ras Isa and Hodeidah areas of Yemen,” the IDF said in a statement. Ras Isa and Hodeidah are the country’s two main seaports. Two power stations — Al-Khali and Ras Katib — were also attacked in addition to an oil depot.
The Houthis in Yemen have been playing with fire. When you play with fire, you get burnt. pic.twitter.com/abasEq6MgC
— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) September 29, 2024
“The targets included power plants and a seaport used to import oil, which were used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer Iranian weapons to the region, in addition to military supplies and oil,” the IDF said.
BREAKING: Israeli airstrikes reported in Hodeidah, Yemen pic.twitter.com/CoIeSIauxw
— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) September 29, 2024
“The strikes were carried out in response to the recent attacks by the Houthis against the State of Israel,” the IDF added.
“Over the past year, the Houthis have been operating under the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation.
“The IDF is determined to continue operating at any distance – near or far – against all threats to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Israeli Air Force Commanding Officer Tomer Bar echoed the statement in remarks delivered from the operations room of the IAF underground command center following the strike.
“Anyone who tries to harm the civilians of the State of Israel — we will reach them. It’s that simple,” said Bar, who personally flew in the Friday afternoon attack that eliminated Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
The purpose of the attack in Yemen was to “exact a heavy price from the Houthis for their attacks. If they continue to attack Israel, the attacks will increase,” a senior Israeli official told reporters.
“The message to Iran is that Israel can attack with tremendous power even at a distance of 1,800 kilometers,” the official said. “It can do it simultaneously in several arenas. Today we attacked in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.”
Multiple explosions were heard as the warplanes struck the fuel tanks in the port, located in western Yemen, according to Arab media. One report quoted by Ynet claimed the warplanes also targeted the Hodeidah International Airport.
مصادر العربية: إسرائيل هاجمت محطة للطاقة وميناء الحديدة ردا على صواريخ الحوثي الأخيرة#قناة_العربية #لبنان pic.twitter.com/M4MGqAWB5o
— العربية (@AlArabiya) September 29, 2024
It’s not the first time Israel has attacked the port, used as a central location for Iranian weapons transfers to the Houthis and a launching point for missile and combat drone attacks against Israel.
IDF Attacks Houthis in Yemeni Port of Hodeidah
The Houthis have continued to launch ballistic missiles and explosive drones at Israel in recent months.
This past Saturday night, the Iranian proxies fired a surface-to-surface ballistic missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, allegedly targeting the Wing of Zion plane carrying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back to Israel from the United States.
The Arrow aerial defense system shot the missile down, with shrapnel from the interception landing in the Jerusalem-area community of Tzur Hadassah in Gush Etzion. No physical injuries were reported but there was some damage in the community.
This past July, dozens were killed and injured in the last Israeli attack on the port. The port itself went up in flames, fueled by oil stored at the site. The targets included military equipment facilities, energy infrastructure, oil refineries and a military airport where the Houthis received deliveries of weapons from Iran.
That attack came in the wake of a Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv that left one person dead and eight others wounded. The drone exploded against a multi-story apartment building just a few hundred meters away from the US Embassy.
