Israel Conducts Precision Airstrikes on Houthi Targets at Yemen's Hodeidah Port Amid Rising Drone Attacks

The Israeli military has intensified its campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi armed group in Yemen by launching multiple airstrikes on Hodeidah port, a strategic location used by the Houthis to rebuild military infrastructure and transfer Iranian weapons. The strikes targeted engineering equipment, fuel containers, vessels involved in hostile maritime activity, and other terror-related assets, aiming to halt the reconstruction of terror infrastructure and prevent further attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized a firm stance, equating Yemen's fate with Tehran's and vowing to impose heavy costs on the Houthis for their missile and drone attacks on Israel. The Houthis, in turn, claimed responsibility for drone attacks on key sites in Israel, including airports and ports, citing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. While the IDF describes the operation as a precision strike within a sustained campaign to maintain pressure on the Houthis, some Israeli commentators question its long-term effectiveness, warning it may provoke further aggression. The conflict underscores the broader regional tensions involving Iranian influence, maritime security, and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.