Israel strikes Yemen’s Hodeidah port, warns Houthis of naval and air blockade

The Israeli Navy launched strikes on Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah as tensions escalate with the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, according to Reuters.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned of a potential naval and aerial blockade should Houthi attacks on Israel persist.

Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that the strikes hit the docks at Al Hodeidah port with two separate attacks. The Israeli military confirmed naval strikes targeting what it described as Houthi assets, claiming the port is being used to transfer weapons.

No casualties have been reported at this time.

The strikes followed a warning issued by the Israeli military earlier in the week, urging the evacuation of three key Houthi-controlled ports: Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif.

“We warned the Houthi terror organization that continued attacks on Israel would provoke a powerful response. They risk facing a full naval and aerial blockade,” Defence Minister Gallant stated on X.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, the Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, actions they frame as support for the Palestinian cause.

While most of the projectiles aimed at Israel have been intercepted or failed to reach their targets, Israel has responded with a series of retaliatory strikes.

While Israel has significantly weakened other Iran-backed forces in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen—and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq remain operational and continue to pose threats to regional security and global maritime trade.

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