‘Whatever Distance is Necessary’: IDF Strikes Sana’a International Airport in Retaliation for Houthi Attacks

Latest Developments

Israeli Air Force Strikes Houthi Targets, Including Sana’a International Airport: Israeli warplanes struck Houthi “terrorist targets” in Yemen on December 26, the fourth such long-range sortie and the second to include targets in the rebel occupied capital, Sana’a. Among the targets struck was Sana’a International Airport, which is used by the Houthis to transfer “Iranian weapons to the region” and for “the arrival of senior Iranian officials” to Yemen, according to the IDF. Additional Israeli strikes targeted both Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations, as well as Houthi infrastructure in the western ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Kanatib. The IDF said it would continue to “act forcefully” against anyone who “poses a threat to the citizens” of Israel, “at whatever distance is necessary.”

Israeli Strikes Followed Late-Night Houthi Missiles Into Israel: The latest Israeli strikes followed four middle-of-the-night Houthi ballistic missile launches along with several drone attacks against the Jewish state over the last week. Three of the missiles — which primarily targeted central Israeli population centers like Tel Aviv — were intercepted, while the fourth slammed into an empty playground in Jaffa. Three people suffered injuries from flying glass, and dozens more were injured from falling while rushing to bomb shelters.

Israel Threatens to Eliminate Houthi Chiefs: In remarks on December 23, Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Israeli missions to eliminate Houthi terrorist leaders, saying that Israel “will strike the Houthis hard,” and “decapitate their leadership.” Katz added, “just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon — we will do the same in Hodeidah and Sana’a,” referring to the Israeli missions that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leaders Yahyah Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, who was targeted by a covert Mossad squad in a guest house in the Iranian capital belonging to Iran’s regime.

FDD Expert Response

“Israel is carefully selecting targets to calibrate escalation. The Houthis — and their Iranian sponsors — must now question the safety of their movements after strikes on seaports and the airport. Each 4,000-km round-trip bombing sortie executed by the IDF without losses or friction sends a clear message. Tehran is undoubtedly watching warily, as these operations double as training runs for a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“The Houthis have been targeting Israeli civilians for months and have choked critical global shipping lanes while attacking internationally flagged vessels. The last week has seen a significant uptick in successful Houthi strikes on Israel’s population centers. The IDF is now facing off against yet another terror organization that is funded, trained, and armed by the regime in Tehran. As the IDF targets the Houthis once again, there is now an ongoing discussion in Israel about whether a strike against the Iranian regime itself would be more effective in deterring their ongoing aggression.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“The IDF carried out important strikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis in its latest response to increasing Houthi missile and drone attacks in recent weeks. The Houthis are hoping to fill the vacuum left by Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies who have largely stopped attacking Israel. It’s important Israel keep up the pressure on the Houthis until they halt their attacks.” — Seth Frantzman, Adjunct Fellow

“Israel’s continued air campaign against Houthi targets not only serves to fortify the Jewish state against terrorists with the ability to target civilians with ballistic missiles but also provides a method to begin reopening some of the world’s most vital shipping channels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. All freedom-loving nations should be fully supportive of the IDF’s campaign against Iran’s terrorists in Yemen.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor