Military estimates it will take a month for Iran-backed terror group to repair Hodeidah and Salif ports following airstrikes; 15 jets dropped 35 bombs
Israeli fighter jets carried out a wave of airstrikes in Yemen on Friday afternoon, targeting two Houthi-controlled ports in the west of the country, and threatened to kill the terror group’s leader, in response to the Iran-backed group’s ongoing missile and drone attacks on Israel.
Israel had waited until the end of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the region before launching its reprisal strikes on the Houthis. Since the Israel Defense Force’s last strike on Yemen, on May 6, the Houthis launched at least seven missiles and two drones at Israel, the latest of them on Thursday night.
Fifteen fighter jets were involved in the strike on Friday, dropping some 35 munitions on the Hodeidah and Salif ports, destroying infrastructure, the military said. IAF refuelers and spy planes also participated in the operation.
Earlier this week, the IDF issued two evacuation warnings for the two ports in western Yemen, along with a third port, Ras Isa, the latter of which was not targeted on Friday.
“These ports are used for the transfer of weapons and are another example of the cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure by the Houthi terror regime to advance terror,” the military said in a statement.
The two ports have been targeted by the Israeli Air Force before, as was Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport on May 6.
The IDF said the strikes are intended to “deepen the damage to the Houthis’ terror capabilities,” and “neutralize” the ports, to prevent the group from bringing in more Iranian weapons and to harm the group economically.
The military estimated it would take the Houthis about a month to restore the ports. Until then, it would be unable to dock ships longer than 80 meters there.
“In light of the Houthi terror regime’s use of these ports for terror purposes, the IDF reiterates its warning to those present at the ports to distance themselves and evacuate the area,” the military said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir huddled in the Israeli Air Force underground command center during the strikes.
Katz, in a statement, threatened to eliminate Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi if the Iran-backed group continues to fire on Israel.
“The IDF now struck and severely damaged the ports in Yemen that are under the control of the Houthi terror group. The airport in Sanaa also remains destroyed,” Katz said.
“As we said, if the Houthis continue to fire missiles on Israel, they will suffer painful blows, and we will also strike the terror chief, just as we did to Deif and the Sinwars in Gaza, to Nasrallah in Beirut and to Haniyeh in Tehran,” he said, referring to the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah that Israel has assassinated (it is not yet confirmed that Hamas Gaza leader Muhammad Sinwar, brother of slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, was killed in this week’s strike that targeted him).
“We will hunt down and eliminate Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in Yemen as well. We will defend ourselves by our own strength against any enemy,” Katz added.
Trump announced earlier in May that he’d reached a ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis that would halt attacks on US vessels, though the Houthis vowed to continue attacking Israel.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched 34 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
The sirens warning of missile attacks have sent hundreds of thousands of Israelis rushing to shelters at all hours of the day and night.
