Yemen’s answer to Israeli aggression: Military strikes and strategic Red Sea control

Yemen’s military response to Israeli aggression, including missile strikes and imposing a blockade in the Red Sea, delivers a powerful message in the only language Tel Aviv understands, putting on full display Sanaa’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.

Saqr Abo Hasan

The Cradle

Over the past year, as the war on Gaza escalated and the regional conflict spread, Israel has targeted Yemen twice – first on 20 July and again on 29 September – in an effort to curb Yemeni missile and drone attacks, both times hitting the port city of Hodeidah. 

However, these efforts came too late. On 3 October, the Ansarallah-aligned armed forces announced that they had once again struck Tel Aviv, hitting “vital targets” using the aptly named Yaffa drones.

According to Yemeni blogger and journalist Abdul Salam al-Nahari, “The Yemeni hand has reached Israel, and what followed is just a passing talk.” He informs The Cradle: 

For a Yemeni plane to reach Israel and travel all this distance and for Yemeni missiles to reach the depth of Israel without being repelled by the Iron Dome and at this sensitive time of the war on Gaza and Lebanon is not easy.

Sanaa steps up 

Yemeni drones and ballistic missiles had already been launched toward Israel in previous months, with Tel Aviv reportedly identifying “200 missiles and drones” launched from Yemen since 7 October, culminating in the unprecedented 20 July attack. Nahari describes this as a significant accomplishment, given Sanaa’s limited military resources and the great distance between the two countries.

The strongest Yemeni slap – as Nahari puts it – came with the arrival of Yemeni hypersonic missiles to the Israeli depth after they exceeded in their strike the areas of Umm al-Rashrash, currently known as the port city of ‘Eilat.’

With the martyrdom of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and the expansion of the war in Lebanon, Yemen’s operations will continue to support the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon, regardless of the consequences, Nahari stresses.

Yemen’s decision to escalate against the occupation state was deliberate, aimed at supporting the Palestinian cause and ending the aggression on Gaza, at all costs. 

A senior Yemeni army official, speaking to The Cradle, reveals that:

All formations of the Yemeni army have raised the level of readiness since the first Yemeni missile to reach Israel and before the launch of the first phase of closing the Red Sea to Israeli navigation.

The official also highlights that Israel’s assassination of resistance leaders, such as Ismail Haniyeh and Nasrallah, has only strengthened Yemen’s resolve to confront Israel. Since last year, voluntary training programs have been initiated across Yemen under the banner of “General Mobilization Forces.” These civilian forces undergo intensive military training to raise awareness and prepare for war. 

Yemen always answers back 

In January, when US naval forces targeted Yemeni soldiers in the Red Sea, killing 10, the Ansarallah movement vowed to retaliate. This promise was reiterated when Israeli aircraft struck the port of Hodeidah. In a televised speech, Ansarallah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi emphasized the inevitability of a response, stating that the delay was strategic to ensure a more effective strike on the occupation state.

Bandar Sarhan, a public policy researcher at Dhamar University, tells The Cradle that the delay in the Yemeni response comes in accordance with the requirements of the war.

Sarhan explains that the opportunity for a Yemeni response is always open. While Gaza remains under Israeli fire and Lebanon is being targeted, the moment for Yemen’s retaliation is still forthcoming. “The Yemeni response will be strong enough for the world to hear Israel’s moaning,” Sarhan says. 

Public discourse facilitates the Israeli narrative that Yemen’s vital military infrastructure was targeted, but in reality, the targets are often civilian. Speaking to The Cradle, writer Amin al-Nahmi criticized the targeting of Hodeidah’s civilian infrastructure, calling it an attempt to stir discontent against Ansarallah. However, the opposite has occurred, with popular support for the Yemeni resistance growing even stronger.

Nahmi confirms that the raids in the first and second operations in Hodeidah were aimed at hitting civilian and media targets rather than military sites. 

Israel avoids Yemeni military sites 

On 20 July, Israeli aircraft targeted fuel tanks in the port of Hodeidah, causing damages exceeding $20 million. The recent attack late last month targeted the port of Ras Isa near the city of Hodeidah, fuel storage tanks, as well as the power plant of the city of Hodeidah, causing four deaths and 29 injuries, according to the Yemeni Ministry of Health in the Sanaa government.

Yemeni writer and economic analyst Rashid al-Haddad tells The Cradle that the systematic targeting of the infrastructure for storing oil derivatives in the port of Hodeidah will have repercussions in the future in the event of the return of the blockade or war on Yemen again.

This targeting affected 38 oil tanks the first time, which used to accommodate very large quantities of oil derivatives and are some of the country’s most important reserve oil tanks, especially since the port of Hodeidah serves about 24 million people.

On the size of the material losses, Haddad says: 

The losses do not exceed $20 million, but the infrastructure and storage have been greatly affected and will need years to restore. This will reduce the country’s ability to store more oil derivatives, especially in light of the state of war. These reservoirs, as well as the port of Hodeidah, are civilian infrastructures whose targeting is prohibited under international humanitarian law.

Yemen’s security is still at stake 

A senior official at the Yemen Petroleum Company reveals to The Cradle that the company had anticipated hostile actions against Yemen and emptied the fuel tanks in Hodeidah and Ras Isa prior to the strikes. This precautionary measure ensured that Yemen maintained a sufficient supply of oil derivatives, preventing a fuel crisis despite the attacks.

With the war widening, Hodeidah remains a crucial gateway for Yemen’s food, medicine, and fuel imports. Over 70 percent of its trade passes through this port, making it the “only marine lung through which Yemen breathes,” according to Haddad.

Since its construction in 1961, in cooperation with the former Soviet Union, the port has played a central role in Yemen’s economy, second only to Aden. 

However, it has suffered extensive damage from sustained airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition during the war. Despite this, the port has continued to function, serving millions of Yemenis daily.

Closing the Red Sea to Israel 

This was not the first time Israeli strikes have targeted Yemen. In 1976, Yemen was subjected to raids by unidentified aircraft, later confirmed to be Israeli in a 2022 documentary, “The Unknown Aggression.” Furthermore, in 1973, Yemen played a pivotal role in closing the Red Sea to Israeli navigation in cooperation with Egypt during the Arab–Israeli war.

Then, like now, despite Yemen’s limited military capabilities, its coordination with Egypt successfully blocked Israeli access to this key waterway. Today, Yemen’s strategic location continues to pose a challenge for Israel, especially with Yemeni forces gaining strength and influence in the region.

In sum, Yemen’s involvement in the broader regional conflict has grown increasingly significant, with its military capabilities surprising both allies and enemies alike. As the war continues, Yemen’s actions, along with its support for the resistance, will undoubtedly shape the region’s future.