Iran warns Israel of retaliation before war
After the Huthi drone attack on Tel Aviv, Israel strikes military targets of the militia in Yemen. The Huthi declare they are preparing for a long war against Israel. The aligned Iran also threatens with a military confrontation. UN Secretary-General Guterres expresses deep concern.
Following the Israeli air raid in Yemen in response to a fatal drone attack by the pro-Iranian Huthi in Tel Aviv, there are growing concerns of a wider conflict. Iran and Israel exchanged warnings. Israel's "dangerous adventurism" could trigger a regional war, said the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, according to the state news agency Irna.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a counter-offensive against Iran's "terror axis." "It's time for the international community to maximize sanctions against Iran," demanded Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on the platform X. The Iran supports, trains, and finances the Huthi as "part of its regional network of terrorist organizations seeking to attack Israel," Netanyahu stated. Israel and its allies, such as the USA, will be "directly responsible for unpredictable and dangerous consequences" of the Gaza War and attacks on Yemen, warned the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Early in the morning, Israel's missile defense system intercepted a surface-to-surface missile that approached Israel from Yemen, according to military reports. Previously, a rocket alarm was triggered in the area of the southern Israeli port city of Eilat. The projectile, however, did not enter Israeli territory. Reports of casualties were not available.
Netanyahu: We reach enemies everywhere
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed "deep concern over the risk of further escalation in the region." He called for "utmost restraint." Israel's Military reportedly struck military targets of the Huthi in the Hodeidah port. According to a Huthi-affiliated television channel Al-Masirah, citing the health authorities, there were at least three dead and 87 injured. Images showed massive fires. Huthi spokespersons confirmed an Israeli attack on "civilian facilities" in Yemen. Targets were oil and power plants.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "from the start of the war, I have clearly stated that Israel will act against all those who attack us." On Friday, a man was killed and at least eight others injured when a drone from Yemen struck the center of Tel Aviv.
The counter-strike in Yemen "makes it clear to our enemies that there is no place where the long arm of Israel will not reach," Netanyahu stated. It was the response "to hundreds of attacks of the past months on Israel," the Israeli army declared. Weapons from Iran had entered the country via the Hodeidah port, Netanyahu added. The Huthi militia in Yemen is an integral part of Iran's "axis of evil," as Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah militia in Lebanon are.
USA reaffirm "unwavering commitment" to Israel's security
Since the start of the Gaza War against Hamas' terror attack on Israel on October 7, 1979, the conflict between Israel and Iran has dramatically intensified. Israel feels threatened by attacks from groups linked to Iran on multiple fronts. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Israel and the USA have been considered Iran's arch-enemies. Netanyahu called Iran the "most important enemy" in the past.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Joav Galant about Israel's response to the Huthi drone attack in Tel Aviv, according to a Pentagon spokesperson who announced it in the night. Israel's strike was in response to months-long attacks by the Huthi against the State of Israel. Austin reaffirmed "the unwavering commitment of the United States to Israel's security and its right to self-defense".
Meanwhile, the Huthi military spokesperson Jahja Sari stated that they were preparing for a "long war" with Israel. The group has been attacking cargo ships in the region for months, allegedly linked to Israel. They act in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza conflict in their own words. They have also targeted Israel. Most of the projectiles were intercepted. The Iranian army spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the Iranians finance, arm, and direct the terrorist activities of the Huthi.
Humanitarian aid for Yemen over attacked port
The Huthi drone attack on Tel Aviv was loaded with explosives and crashed into a residential building in the center of the Israeli coastal metropolis on Friday. Galant threatened retaliation. The air force targeted in the counterattack the Yemeni port of Hudaida, which is used for terrorist activities, according to Hagari. Israel carried out the air strike alone and did not involve allies such as the USA.
A civil war has been raging in Yemen for years. In addition, there is a severe humanitarian crisis in which about 80% of the population is reportedly dependent on some form of aid. According to UN estimates, approximately 70% of all imports and 80% of all humanitarian aid enter the country via the strategically important Hudaida port on the Red Sea.
In light of the retaliation from Israel following the Huthi drone attack on Tel Aviv, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges "utmost restraint" and expresses "deep concern over the risk of further escalation in the region." Moreover, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson warns that Israel's actions could lead to "unpredictable and dangerous consequences."
