The IAF had previously carried out three strikes against the Houthis.
The targets struck by Israel were utilized by the Houthis to “smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials,” according to the IDF, calling this “a further example of the Houthis’ exploitation of civilian infrastructure for military purposes.”
These targets included ports, a power plant, and Sanaa International Airport.
In its statement, the IDF noted that the Houthis are supported by Iran.
“The Houthi terrorist regime is a central part of the Iranian axis of terror, and their attacks on international shipping vessels and routes continue to destabilize the region and the wider world,” the IDF said.
“The Houthi terrorist regime operates as an autonomous terrorist group while relying on Iranian cooperation and funding to carry out its attacks.”
The strikes are not the end of Israel’s mission against the Houthis, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Iran criticized the strikes.
“These aggressions are a clear violation of international peace and security and an undeniable crime against the heroic and noble people of Yemen, who have not spared any effort to support the oppressed people of Palestine against the occupation and genocide,” the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, said in a statement.
A crew member was injured, he said, and the air traffic control tower and the runway were damaged in addition to the departure lounge, from which he and his mission “were just a few meters” away.
Ghebreyesus said his party will not be able to leave until the damage to the airport is fixed.
