Israeli Navy launches first attack on Yemeni port city of Hodeidah

The Israeli Navy on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, launched a significant military strike on docks located in Hodeidah, a Yemeni port city currently under the control of the Houthi rebels.

These docks are vital to the flow of humanitarian aid into the country, particularly food and essential supplies.

The strike marked the first known instance of Israeli naval forces engaging directly with the Houthis.

According to a statement from the Israeli military, navy missile ships carried out the attack, which targeted infrastructure used by the Houthis.

The Houthis, who control Hodeidah and other areas in western Yemen, have frequently attacked Israel with missiles and drones, especially since the outbreak of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

The Iranian-backed rebel group claims these actions are in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

The Houthis acknowledged the strike through their satellite channel, Al-Masirah, confirming that docks in Hodeidah had been hit, though they did not provide further specifics.

Prior to the naval strike, Israel had issued warnings to Yemeni civilians via online channels, advising them to evacuate from key ports including Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and al-Salif.

In its Tuesday statement, the Israeli military accused the Houthis of using the Hodeidah port to transfer weapons, stating:

“The port is used to transfer weapons and is a further example of the Houthi terrorist regime’s cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure in order to advance terrorist activities.”

Hodeidah plays a critical role in Yemen’s humanitarian landscape, serving as the main point of entry for international aid.

This has been particularly crucial since the conflict in Yemen escalated in 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sana’a, triggering a protracted civil war.

The Houthis have consistently launched attacks on both military and commercial ships in the region.

Their campaign is framed as a response to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.

Between November 2023 and January 2025, they were responsible for targeting over 100 merchant vessels in the Red Sea and nearby waters using drones and missiles.

These attacks resulted in the sinking of two ships and the deaths of four sailors.

The campaign has significantly disrupted maritime trade through the Red Sea, a critical shipping route through which around $1 trillion worth of goods typically pass each year.

Although the Houthis imposed a temporary halt on their attacks in what they described as a self-imposed ceasefire, this changed after the United States initiated a widespread military operation against them in mid-March.

Former President Donald Trump briefly paused American strikes just before traveling to the Middle East, claiming that the Houthis had yielded to U.S. demands.

In a post early Tuesday on the social platform X, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that American naval vessels had recently navigated the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait several times without encountering resistance from the Houthis.

Hegseth attributed the safe transits to the effectiveness of Operation ROUGH RIDER and President Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” policy.

His remarks came just before he was scheduled to testify before Congress for the first time since it emerged he had shared classified military information in a Signal chat.

It remains uncertain how the Houthis will respond to Israel’s naval strike, as most previous attacks against them have come from the air, not the sea.

This shift in military tactics could provoke a new phase in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Yemen remains mired in a broader, unresolved war that has dragged on for over a decade.

The conflict pits the Houthis against the exiled Yemeni government, which is supported by a Saudi-led coalition.

Despite years of fighting, the war has settled into a protracted stalemate, with no clear resolution in sight.

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