Israel launches first naval attack against Houthis in Yemen
The Israeli Navy carried out its first naval attack on Houthi infrastructure in Yemen on Tuesday morning. The operation targeted the port of Hodeidah, a key facility controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and comes amid growing tensions over the Yemeni group's continued attacks on Israeli territory and international ships in the Red Sea.
According to the Israel Defence Forces, the offensive was in response to repeated Houthi aggression, including the launch of surface-to-surface missiles and drones towards Israel. ‘The strikes were carried out following the Houthi terrorist regime's aggression against the State of Israel,’ the official statement said. The IDF stressed that the port attacked was used as a ‘centre for the transfer of weapons’ and was an example of ‘the cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure to promote terrorism.’
The operation was preceded by evacuation warnings to the civilian population in an attempt to reduce non-combatant casualties. Since Monday, Israel has urged the evacuation of the ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah and al-Salif, all allegedly used by the Houthis for military operations.
The Israeli army claimed that the port of Hodeidah had already been targeted in attacks last year, but this was the first action carried out directly by the Israeli Navy with missiles launched from ships. The use of these ports for military purposes, according to Israel, would justify future attacks and even a total blockade.
Nasr al-Din Amer, a senior Houthi official, confirmed the attack and said that two Israeli missiles had hit the Hodeidah dock. He added that the offensive came after warnings from political leader Mahdi al-Mashat, who had promised retaliation against any new Israeli air strikes. Amer questioned whether Yemen's skies were closed to foreign aviation, suggesting that the Houthis are prepared for a new chapter of confrontation.
La Armada de #Israel ha atacado anoche dos muelles del Puerto de Hodeidah, en el Yemen.
— Gabriel Yerushalmi 🇮🇱 Israel Defensa (@Defensa_Israel) June 10, 2025
🇮🇱🔥🇾🇪
- El ataque se produjo tras haberse decretado un bloqueo naval y aéreo total sobre el Yemen hutí, y una advertencia de evacuación de los puertos de Ras Issa, Salif y Hodeidah.
- Los… pic.twitter.com/d0Gj5Lilue
The rebel group has been launching persistent attacks against Israel since the outbreak of war in Gaza, and in recent months alone they have fired dozens of missiles and drones into Israeli territory, including a ballistic missile intercepted last week over Jerusalem.
The Houthis justify their attacks in the Red Sea as a way to pressure for an end to the Israeli offensive in Gaza. From November 2023 to January 2025, they have attacked more than 100 merchant ships, sunk two and killed four sailors, seriously affecting commercial traffic on one of the most important shipping routes in the world.
Yet another medium to long-range ballistic missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen at Central Israel earlier tonight was successfully intercepted by the Israeli “Arrow-3” Anti-Ballistic Missile System. pic.twitter.com/tJGnvlaRSV
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 29, 2025
Threat of blockade
Following the attacks, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated the Navy. ‘I congratulate the Navy on the successful attack on the port of Hodeidah,’ he said. ‘We warn the Houthi terrorist organisation that if they continue to fire on Israel, they will face a powerful response and will be subject to a naval and air blockade. That is what we did today and will continue to do in the future,’ he warned.
Katz said Israel is prepared to use its ’long arm in the air and at sea’ to protect its national interests, hinting that future operations are not only on the table but already being planned.
