Almost simultaneously with U.S. President Donald Trump concluding his tour of the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force confirmed that it carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, using its F-15 Baz fighter-bombers for the operation. According to the Air Force, the missions took place on Friday, May 16th, and specifically targeted the ports of Hodeidah and Salif—an action that, according to Jerusalem, was a response to the ongoing missile and drone attacks launched by the rebel group.
Expanding on some mission details, the Israeli Air Force reportedly deployed a total of 15 combat aircraft, including F-15 Baz fighter-bombers, which dropped more than 35 munitions in an effort to destroy infrastructure at both ports. An unspecified number of refueling and surveillance aircraft were also involved in the operation. Notably, in the days leading up to the offensive, the Air Force issued two warnings to the civilian population to evacuate the areas surrounding both ports, located in western Yemen. The port of Ras Isa was also threatened but ultimately not targeted.
In recent weeks, particularly on May 6, both Hodeidah and Salif ports had already been targeted by Israeli forces, in parallel with a strike on Sana’a International Airport. According to Israeli defense authorities, “These ports are used for the transfer of weapons and are another example of the cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure by the Houthi terrorist regime to promote terrorism.”
Following the strike, Israel estimated that it would take about a month to restore the damaged facilities, preventing vessels longer than 80 meters from docking until reconstruction is complete. In the case of the aforementioned Sana’a Airport, the facilities remain unusable, representing a significant blow to Yemen’s infrastructure overall.
It is also important to note that Friday’s operations were supervised from an Israeli Air Force underground command center by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. This is no minor detail, as following the attack, Minister Katz issued a death threat against Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi should his faction continue attacking Israel—strikes that began in November 2023 in support of the terrorist group Hamas.
Illustrative cover image. Credits: IAF
You may also like: Israel is reportedly negotiating with the U.S. to purchase new stealth JASSM missiles to equip its Air Force
