Israeli Navy pounds Yemeni port following Houthi missile attacks

Israeli missile boats strike Houthi-controlled port in Yemen in response to ballistic missile attacks by the Iran-backed terror group.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli warships struck a Houthi-controlled port in Yemen early Tuesday morning in retaliation for the Iran-backed terror group’s ongoing ballistic missile attacks on Israel.

Explosions were reported at the Hodeidah port after Israeli Navy missile boats opened fire on the strategic target, which is used by the Houthis to receive shipments from abroad.

An IDF spokesperson confirmed the attacks in a statement on Tuesday.

“This morning, the IDF attacked targets of the Houthi terror regime at the port of Hodeidah in Yemen using missile boats of the Israeli Navy,” the military said.

“The strike was carried out in response to the Houthi regime’s aggression toward the State of Israel, during which surface-to-surface missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles were launched toward Israeli territory and its citizens.”

The strike came following warnings from the IDF calling for the evacuation of Hodeidah, as well as the ports in Ras Isa and Salif.

According to the Israeli military, the Hodeidah port was targeted over its use in receiving weapons shipments from Iran.

“The strike was intended to deepen the damage to the military use of the port, which had been attacked by the IDF in the past year and continues to serve terrorist operations,” the IDF said. “The port that was targeted is used to transfer weapons and serves as another example of the cynical exploitation by the Houthi terror regime of civilian infrastructure to advance terror activities.”

This marks the first time the Israeli Navy has struck Houthi positions in Yemen.

However, the Israeli Air Force has hit Hodeidah previously and twice bombed the sole international airport in Houthi-controlled Yemen, in the capital city of Sanaa.

“I commend the Israeli Navy for the successful strike at the Port of Hodeidah in Yemen,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said. “Israel’s long arm — in the air and at sea — will reach everywhere.”

“We warned the Houthi terror organization that if they continue firing toward Israel, they will face a powerful response and be subjected to a naval and aerial blockade. That is what we did today — and we will continue to do so in the future.”