Illustration: Israeli Navy vessel fires missile during operations at sea. (Photo: IDF)
The Israeli Navy struck several docks in the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah on Tuesday morning, according to reports on the rebels’ al-Masirah satellite news channel.
The strikes followed warnings issued by IDF Arabic spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee late on Monday, calling for civilians to evacuate three sites in the Houthi rebel-controlled territory of Yemen.
In a message to residents, Adraee warned of strikes on three ports: Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Al-Salif Port.
“Due to the terrorist Houthi regime’s use of seaports for its terrorist activities, we urge all those present at these ports to evacuate and stay away from them for your own safety until further notice,” Col. Adraee warned. “Evacuating ports will keep you safe.”
Following the strikes on the three ports, Col. Adraee said the strikes “came in response to the aggressive attacks carried out by the terrorist Houthi regime against the State of Israel, where it launches surface-to-surface missiles and drones into Israeli territory.”
#عاجل 🔴 سفن صواريخ تابعة لسلاح البحرية هاجمت أهدافًا تابعة لنظام الحوثي الارهابي في ميناء الحديدة في اليمن
⭕️هاجم جيش الدفاع من خلال سفن صواريخ تابعة لسلاح البحرية صباح اليوم أهدافًا تابعة لنظام الحوثي الارهابي في ميناء الحديدة في اليمن. لقد جاءت الغارات ردًّا على الاعتداءات…
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) June 10, 2025
The IDF justified the attack, noting that “the port of Hodeidah is used to transport combat equipment.”
“The terrorist Houthi regime has been operating aggressively over the past year and a half, with Iranian guidance and funding, to target the State of Israel and its allies, destabilize the region, and disrupt international freedom of navigation,” Adraee noted.
“The IDF is determined to continue to deliver powerful blows to anyone who poses a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel, no matter how far away,” he continued.
The IDF said the strikes represent the first use of its naval missile boats to carry out a strike against the Houthis. Previously, the military has relied on the use of the Israel Air Force (IAF) to conduct targeted bombings of Houthi sites.
Nasr al-Din Amer, Deputy Chairman of the Ansar Allah Media Authority, posted two responses to the strikes on social media, acknowledging that naval units were used in the attack, which he said involved two missiles in the strike on Hodeidah.
Amer also claimed that the use of naval forces implied that the Houthi air defenses were too powerful for the IAF. He cited media reports saying a U.S. fighter jet was almost shot down by the rebels, and asked, “Have the skies of Yemen become closed to American, Zionist and other aircraft?!”
In a follow up post, Amer also claimed that Israel’s strikes had “no significant impact on our operations in support of Gaza, nor on preparations for escalation and expansion of operations deep inside the Zionist enemy entity, God willing.”
“It will not lift the Yemeni naval blockade that led to the complete closure of the port of Umm al-Rashrash [Eilat], nor will it lift the ban on Lod Airport [Ben Gurion], which forced most international airlines to stop dealing with the enemy’s airports. It has no impact even on the morale of our people who take to the streets weekly by the millions in support of Gaza,” he claimed.
Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel in support of Hamas. The most recent ballistic missile launch by the Houthis came on Monday. However, the missile failed to reach Israeli airspace and did not trigger warnings in Israel.
The Houthi rebels also launched multiple attacks on ships crossing through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Following repeated strikes by the United States and allies, including Great Britain, the Houthis restricted the attacks to ships affiliated with Israel.