In A First, Israeli Navy Strikes Houthi-Controlled Ports After Evacuation Warning

For the first time, Israeli naval forces have launched missile strikes targeting the port of Hodeida in Yemen on June 10, 2025.

The Israeli military said its navy missile ships launched the attack in response to continued missile and drone launches by the Houthis towards Israeli territory.

The strikes were launched hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued an “urgent and important” evacuation warning for three Houthi-controlled ports: Ras Isa, Hodeida, and Al-Salif.

The warning, issued in Arabic by IDF spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee via social media, advised people in and around the ports to leave immediately and stay away for their own safety.

According to the IDF, the Houthis have been using these ports to support what it described as terrorist activities, including the transport and storage of weapons. In the post, Adraee accused the Houthis of turning civilian maritime infrastructure into tools of war.

#عاجل تحذير لكل المتواجدين في الموانئ البحرية التي يسيطر عليها النظام الحوثي الإرهابي
ميناء رأس عيسى
ميناء الحديدة
ميناء الصليف

أمامكم تحذير هام وعاجل

نظرًا لقيام النظام الحوثي الإرهابي باستخدام الموانئ البحرية لصالح أنشطته الإرهابية نحث جميع المتواجدين في هذه الموانئ… pic.twitter.com/8Yjo0HA4Dt

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) June 9, 2025

The Israeli military said the strike was aimed at “terror targets” inside the Hodeida port, which it said was being used to smuggle weapons. Yemen’s Houthi-run al-Masirah TV confirmed the port had been attacked, stating that the strikes hit the docks but did not elaborate further.

Hodeida port is Yemen’s main gateway for humanitarian aid and food supplies for millions of people affected by the country’s prolonged conflict. There are concerns that the recent attacks may further disrupt vital aid deliveries.

This action follows Israel’s May 28 strike on Sana’a International Airport, where it claimed to have destroyed the last aircraft belonging to Yemen’s national airline, Yemenia under Operation Golden Jewel.

Following that operation, Israeli media reported that 15 fighter jets, along with refueling and surveillance aircraft, bombed the Hodeida and Salif ports after weeks of intelligence gathering. According to Israeli estimates, the damaged port facilities are not expected to be fully operational for at least a month.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz called the strikes a warning to the Houthis. He said the group would face a “powerful response” and a possible “naval and air blockade” if attacks against Israel continued. He added that Israel’s “long arm in the air and at sea will reach everywhere.”

Video Credits: TIMES NOW/YouTube

The Houthis have intensified their missile and drone attacks on Israel in recent months, stating their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war. Since the May 16 Israeli strikes, they have launched seven ballistic missiles and at least one drone toward Israel. A missile launched earlier on Tuesday fell short and did not reach Israeli territory.

Previous Houthi strikes have reached near sensitive areas, including the vicinity of Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main airport located southwest of Tel Aviv.

In a separate operation reported by Lloyd’s List, the first bulk carrier returned to Salif port on May 31 after the earlier airstrikes. However, as per reports the Houthis had limited vessel movement and refused to allow some ships to leave.

Russia confirmed that its seafarers had to be evacuated from one vessel that was damaged in a May attack, possibly by the U.S., with several crew members injured.

Though the Houthis have not attacked merchant ships in the Red Sea in recent weeks, they previously targeted over 100 commercial vessels between November 2023 and January 2025.

Those attacks, involving drones and missiles, resulted in two ships sinking and the deaths of atleast four sailors. These attacks caused significant disruption to international trade in the Red Sea, which normally handles around $1 trillion worth of goods annually.

The Houthi group paused attacks for a short time, declaring a ceasefire. But the U.S. launched a large-scale operation in mid-March. President Donald Trump briefly halted that campaign before a trip to the Middle East, claiming the Houthis had surrendered to U.S. demands. However, hostilities quickly resumed afterward.

Early Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on X that American Navy vessels had passed through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait “multiple times in recent days” without encountering any attacks. He described this as proof of the success of Operation ROUGH RIDER and President Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” policy.

References: AP News, Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News