IDF Conducts Multiple Airstrikes Against Houthi Targets in Yemen

Latest Developments

• Houthis Struck: The IDF conducted several airstrikes on September 10 against Iran-backed Houthi positions in the Al Jawf and Sana’a areas of Yemen, two weeks after it eliminated 12 top officials in the Houthi-controlled government. According to Israel, sites targeted in the attack included “military camps in which the Houthi regime gathered intelligence, and planned and executed terrorist attacks against Israel,” as well as a fuel storage facility” and “the Houthi Public Relations Department, responsible for distributing propaganda messages in the media.” More than 10 Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets took part in the latest round of strikes against the Houthis, dropping over 30 bombs and flying over 1,460 miles.
• Strikes Follow Houthi Drones, Missiles Launched At Israel: The IAF strikes against the Houthis followed multiple ballistic missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen against Israel in recent weeks. On September 7, a Houthi drone injured two people after it struck Ramon Airport near the southernmost city of Eilat. Additionally, on September 9, the Houthis claimed to have attacked “several sensitive targets” in the Jerusalem region with a ballistic missile fitted with a cluster bomb warhead, which the IDF successfully intercepted, as well as launching three more drones at Israel, one of which the IDF said was shot down.
• Netanyahu Vows IDF Will ‘Continue to Strike’ Threats as Houthis Downplay Attack: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Houthi attack at Ramon Airport “did not weaken” Israel’s resolve to strike the terrorist organization, stating that Wednesday’s operation had targeted several of the group’s “terror bases” with “many terrorists” inside them. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that “the long arm of Israel will reach and strike terror wherever it may be and from any place from which a threat to [Israel’s] citizens arises.”

FDD Expert Response

“Israel continues to strike Houthi assets in response to the Iran-backed terror group’s ongoing drone and missile attacks. However, the Houthis have weathered strikes from Israel and the United States for over a year and a half. Israel will likely have to increase the cost on the Houthis to deter ongoing attacks. This can be done by targeting Iran’s efforts to arm the Houthis and assassinating key Houthi leaders as improved intelligence capabilities create opportunities for Israel.” — Bridget Toomey, Research Analyst

“For the Houthis, firing missiles and drones at Israel for almost two years is not simply a tactical operation; it is an investment in its long-term legitimacy within the Arab world and the so-called Resistance Axis. When the current war ends, the Houthis will claim the mantle of defenders of the Palestinian cause, highlighting their ability to withstand Israeli retaliation and maintain steady military pressure on the Jewish state. This potential achievement carries profound symbolic weight for a group that relies on its revolutionary image to sustain internal cohesion and regional influence.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

FDD Background and Analysis

“Houthi Drone Breaches Israeli Air Defenses, Damages Airport Terminal,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel kills 12 top officials in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled government,” by Bridget Toomey

“Houthis Abduct UN Workers After Israeli Airstrike Kills Senior Ministers,” FDD Flash Brief

“IDF Responds to Houthi Cluster Munition Launched at Israel,” FDD Flash Brief