Israeli jets strike Houthi targets ‘deep inside Yemen’
Israeli Air Force jets struck numerous Houthi terror targets in Yemen, both on the country’s coast and in the interior, the Israel Defence Forces said on Thursday morning.
AIF jet fighter: Photo by Anthony Hershko/TPS
The announcement came after Israelis in Tel Aviv were forced to take shelter when the Houthis fired a ballistic missile, which was intercepted.
Targets included Houthi military assets, ports and energy infrastructure in Sana’a, the IDF said, saying, “Attacking these targets harms the terrorist regime by preventing the exploitation of infrastructure for military and terrorist needs, including the transfer of Iranian weapons to the region.”
Briefing reporters, IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari blamed Iran for supporting Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
“The Houthis are also targeting other countries in the Middle East, the United States and other countries. Through their attacks on international shipping and their establishment in the Red Sea, the Houthis have become a global threat. Who is behind the Houthis? Iran. The Iranian regime finances, arms and directs the terrorist activities of the Houthis,” said Hagari.
The Houthis vowed in early December to target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed numerous ships, hijacked the MV Galaxy Leader in November and are holding its crew of 25 hostage.
From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime choke point between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
