Israeli airstrike on Yemen is a clear message to Tehran

Tel Aviv (Israel), July 21 (ANI/TPS): The Israeli airstrike on the Yemeni Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah marks a significant change in Jerusalem’s response to the more than 200 missiles and drones launched by the Houthis since October.

Although Israel has so far chosen to ignore the attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis, it was only a matter of time before these attacks produced casualties demanding a response.

The operation sent shockwaves across the region. The port of Al-Hodeidah, a lifeline for the Houthis, was set ablaze, causing widespread panic among residents. Witnesses reported long lines at gas stations, with people scrambling to fill up for fear of further attacks. The flames and explosions from the burning port were broadcast across the Arab world.

Weapons depots were damaged, but the strikes on 20 fuel depots also drew regional attention for two reasons. The targeting of fuel underscores Israel’s strategic intent to disrupt and dismantle the Houthis’ support systems. It also sends a message to Tehran that Israel could also strike sensitive Iranian oil facilities.

The Houthis responded quickly, though unsuccessfully, by launching a surface-to-surface missile toward Tel Aviv that was intercepted near Eilat.

Speculation is rife as to whether Arab countries facilitated the Israeli attack and which countries did so. Saudi Arabia, whose oil facilities have already been targeted by the Houthis, has denied any involvement.

Iran, for its part, condemned the airstrike and warned against what it called Israeli “adventurism.”

The strike was in retaliation for a drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday that killed one Israeli and wounded seven others. One of the dead was Yevgeny Ferder, a 50-year-old Belarusian immigrant. The Houthi drone took an unusual trajectory from Yemen over Egyptian airspace before returning over the Mediterranean toward Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel since October, but Friday’s attack was the first to cause casualties.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters that Israel acted alone in launching the airstrike and called on the international community to stand with Israel.

“Israel expects the countries of the world to stand on one front, this is a common international interest,” Hagari said.

In early December, the Houthis vowed to target any ship bound for Israel in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed numerous vessels, hijacking the MV Galaxy Leader in November and holding its 25-person crew hostage.

From their bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been threatening ships sailing in the Red Sea as they pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. Most of the world’s oil passes through the strait, from the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. (ANI/TPS)

Disclaimer: This article has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor.