Israeli warplanes unleashed a barrage on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, shaking the city with precision strikes, as the Associated Press reports. The attack, a direct response to a Houthi missile launch on Israel, signals Jerusalem’s no-nonsense approach to Iran’s proxies. Sanaa’s residents felt the earth tremble, a stark reminder of the cost of aligning with Tehran’s agenda.
Over the weekend, Israeli jets targeted Houthi-controlled sites after the rebels fired a cluster bomb at Israel, a new escalation in their 22-month campaign of missile and drone attacks. The strikes hit an oil facility, a power plant, and a military site near the presidential palace, leaving at least six dead and 86 wounded, per Houthi claims. This wasn’t a random flex -- Israel’s military is hitting the Houthis where it hurts most.
The Houthis, Iran’s loyal foot soldiers, have been harassing Israel and Red Sea shipping since November 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Their attacks on over 100 commercial and naval vessels have disrupted $1 trillion in global trade. Yet, their “noble” cause smells more like Tehran’s playbook than genuine concern for Gaza.
On Friday, the Houthis boasted of launching a missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, which Israel says fragmented mid-air after failed interceptions. An Israeli Air Force official called it a cluster munition, a dangerous new toy likely supplied by Iran to make interception trickier. The Houthis’ tech upgrade screams foreign meddling, not homegrown ingenuity.
Sunday’s airstrikes saw over 10 Israeli fighter jets hammer Sanaa’s infrastructure, including the Asar oil facility and Hizaz power plant. Social media captured a fireball erupting at the oil plant, while residents reported explosions near a shuttered military academy. The Houthis’ so-called “revolutionary” grip on Yemen’s capital took a serious hit.
“The sounds of explosions were very strong,” said Hussein Mohamed, a Sanaa resident near the presidential palace. His words paint a vivid picture, but the Houthis’ defiance in the face of such firepower is pure bravado. Their “solidarity” with Gaza doesn’t justify endangering their own people.
“The house was rocked, and the windows were shattered,” Ahmed al-Mekhlafy, another Sanaa resident, told the Associated Press. His shock underscores the human toll of the Houthis’ reckless provocations. Playing Iran’s proxy comes with a price, and Yemen’s civilians are paying it.
The Houthis’ deputy media head, Nasruddin Amer, vowed their attacks “won’t stop, God willing, unless the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted.” His defiance ignores the reality: the Houthis’ missile spree invites retaliation, not peace. Gaza’s plight is their excuse, not their cause.
Israel’s strikes aren’t new -- last week, they targeted Houthi energy infrastructure, and in May, Sanaa’s airport was obliterated, damaging six planes. The Houthis’ claim of targeting Israeli-aligned ships, regardless of nationality, shows their disregard for global trade. Their “new phase” of attacks is less strategy, more desperation.
“Israel continues to impose an air and naval blockade,” Defense Minister Israel Katz declared, framing the strikes as a necessary countermeasure. He’s not wrong -- letting Iran’s proxies run amok risks regional chaos. The Houthis’ Red Sea antics threaten more than just Israel; they choke global commerce.
“The rebel group is paying a heavy price for its aggression,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in televised remarks. His words cut through the Houthis’ posturing, exposing their campaign as a costly failure. Iran’s puppets are learning that actions have consequences.
The Houthis briefly paused their Red Sea attacks during a Gaza ceasefire this year, but resumed after U.S.-led airstrikes. A May deal with the U.S. to halt airstrikes in exchange for stopping ship attacks fell apart when the Houthis clarified they’d still target Israel-linked vessels. Their double-dealing proves they’re more loyal to Tehran than to any truce.
The Red Sea, a lifeline for $1 trillion in annual global goods, remains a Houthi battleground. Their 22-month campaign has hit over 100 ships, disrupting supply chains and hiking costs for consumers worldwide. This isn’t resistance -- it’s economic sabotage dressed up as ideology.
Israel’s latest strikes, the first since last week’s energy infrastructure hits, show Jerusalem’s resolve to neuter Iran’s proxies. The Houthis’ cluster bomb gambit, likely Tehran’s handiwork, only escalates the stakes. Their “solidarity” with Gaza is a flimsy cover for Iran’s regional power grab.
Sanaa’s residents, caught in the crossfire, face the brunt of this proxy war. The Houthis’ missile launches and Israel’s retaliatory strikes leave Yemen’s capital smoldering. Iran’s shadow looms large, but it’s Yemen’s people who pay the price for Tehran’s ambitions.
