Israel opens another front, bombs Yemen, targeting Houthis

Tel Aviv expands its regional war with 16 airstrikes on Sanaa airport and infrastructure; Houthis vow retaliation and reaffirm support for Gaza

SANAA, Yemen (MNTV) – Israel has expanded its regional military campaign by launching a series of coordinated airstrikes on Yemen, opening a new front in its ongoing war across the Middle East.

On Tuesday, Israeli fighter jets carried out 16 airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa and surrounding areas, targeting key infrastructure, including the Sanaa International Airport, power stations, and a cement factory in Amran province.

The strikes come in direct response to a Houthi missile attack on Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv a day earlier.

The escalation marks a significant widening of Israel’s military operations, which have already been active in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon since the war in Gaza in October 2023.

Footage aired by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV showed smoke billowing from the bombed airport and adjacent facilities, describing the air raids as an act of “American-Israeli aggression.”

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed the strikes, stating that “Houthi military infrastructure” had been the target.

He claimed the operation was conducted with precision, and “steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

Despite those assurances, the strikes hit civilian-linked infrastructure, including power stations in Dhahaban, Asr, Hezyaz, and Attan, severely disrupting electricity across Sanaa.

The main cement factory in Amran province was also hit, raising concerns about the broader impact on Yemen’s already fragile civilian economy.

The Israeli military later claimed it had “fully disabled” Sanaa’s main airport, including its runways, aircraft, watchtower, and fuel storage facilities.

The move effectively grounds all flights from the Yemeni capital, further isolating a country already devastated by years of war and blockade.

In a statement issued shortly after the strikes, the Houthi movement’s political bureau warned that Israel’s aggression would “not pass without a response,” and reaffirmed that Yemen would not be “discouraged from its stance in support of Gaza.”

The group also warned international airlines that Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport was “no longer safe,” threatening further missile attacks.

The U.S. government has not officially commented on the latest Israeli strikes, though earlier joint U.S.-Israeli air raids on the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah killed at least four people. These airstrikes on Monday night targeted Houthi positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and followed renewed Houthi attacks on Israeli and U.S.-linked shipping in the region.

The Houthis resumed their attacks in March, citing Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza.

Israel’s widening of military operations into Yemen adds a new layer of complexity to an already volatile regional crisis.

With active fronts now in Gaza, southern Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, Tel Aviv appears to be pursuing a multi-theatre strategy against groups aligned with Iran—groups that have declared solidarity with the Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza.

Analysts warn the new airstrikes on Sanaa risk drawing the region closer to a broader confrontation, involving not just local actors like the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas, but also regional powers and international stakeholders.

The situation in Yemen remains tense, with fears of further retaliatory attacks from the Houthis, who are backed by Iran and have proven long-range missile capabilities.