Israeli Navy strikes Houthis in Yemen, targets key port

Israel attacked the Houthi-controlled port of Hudaydah in Yemen on Tuesday, reportedly marking the first time that naval forces were used in an operation against the Iranian-backed terror group instead of the air force.

Israeli Navy missile ships struck “terror targets” at the port following “the aggression of the Houthi terrorist regime” against the Jewish state and its citizens, including the launching of ballistic missiles and drones, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

“The strikes were carried out to stop the use of the port for military purposes. The port has been struck by the IDF over the past year and continues to be used for terrorist purposes,” the military said.

“The port is used to transfer weapons and is a further example of the Houthi terrorist regime’s cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure to advance terrorist activities,” it added.

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, issued an urgent evacuation notice on Monday night for Yemen’s Ras Isa, Hudaydah and Al-Salif ports.

“Due to the terrorist Houthi regime’s use of seaports for its terrorist activities, we urge all those present at these ports to evacuate and stay away from them for your own safety until further notice,” Adraee wrote on X, accompanied by a map.

Jerusalem has conducted multiple rounds of attacks against the Houthis in Yemen since last summer, mainly in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks. The terrorist group claims these attacks are intended to end Israel’s military campaign against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza.

The Houthis have launched dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel since the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, with the attacks intensifying this year.

The terrorist group has also targeted commercial and military ships in the Red Sea. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on over 100 merchant ships, resulting in the sinking of two vessels and the deaths of four sailors, according to the Associated Press.

The Houthis halted their attacks during a self-declared ceasefire until the United States launched a major offensive against them in mid-March. U.S. President Donald Trump suspended this campaign just before his Middle East visit, stating that the rebels had “capitulated” to American demands.

However, the Houthis have continued to launch missiles and drones at Israel.

Approximately two weeks ago, the Israeli Air Force conducted an operation called “Golden Jewel,” striking the airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. At the time, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the strike had destroyed the last aircraft in use by the Houthis.

Katz congratulated the Navy on Tuesday’s strike, writing on X that “Israel’s long arm in the air and at sea will reach everywhere.” The Houthis had been warned that if they continued to fire at Israel, they would “receive a powerful response and enter a naval and air blockade,” he added. He stressed that Tuesday’s strike was part of that effort.

On Monday, the Houthis launched another missile toward Israel, but it fell short of Israeli territory and did not trigger any sirens. The last Houthi attack to set off alarms occurred last Thursday, when a ballistic missile was intercepted over Jerusalem during protests in both the capital and Tel Aviv.