Over the past 24 hours, there has been a notable uptick in messaging by the Houthis warning of an impending response to Israeli strikes that targeted the Yemeni port city of al-Hudaydah last week, which hit port, fuel, and energy infrastructure..Threats of Retaliation.In a video statement, Houthi movement leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned that "joint operations between the Yemeni Armed Forces and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq will witness – God willing – a major escalation in the coming period," adding that "the response to the Israeli aggression on al-Hudaydah is coming, and we will continue to support Gaza without hesitation.".Likewise, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted on X that "the Yemeni response is coming… It will achieve a decisive victory" and that "we are proceeding in the fifth stage of escalation.".What the "fifth stage of escalation" is remains unknown. Back in May, the Houthis announced the "fourth stage of escalation," which included expanding attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Mediterranean Sea, although this has yet to happen despite claims made by the group..Immediately following the strikes, Saree stated that "the Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they will respond to this blatant aggression and that, with the help of Allah Almighty, they will not hesitate to strike the vital targets of the Israeli enemy, while confirming what was stated in their previous statement regarding considering the occupied Jaffa [Tel Aviv] area as an unsafe area.".The Strikes.On July 20, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of strikes targeting port, fuel, and power infrastructure in the coastal city of al-Hudaydah, Yemen, nearly a day after a Houthi drone attack against Tel Aviv..IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari stated that Israeli strikes were carried out on "Houthi military targets," such as the city's port, which is "used by the Houthis as a main supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons from Iran to Yemen, like the UAV itself that was used in the attack on Friday morning."."In the area of the port, the Israeli Air Force struck dual-use infrastructure used for terrorist activities, including energy infrastructures," he added..Geolocation of the strikes showed extensive damage to the al-Hudaydah port and fuel terminal, causing a large-scale fire that burned for days. Likewise, strikes targeted the port's two primary container cranes and a power station located north of the city..According to the US-based Navanti Group, the strikes reduced the port's fuel storage capacity from 150,000 to 50,000 tonnes. Immediately following the strikes, there were reports of Yemeni civilians rushing to gas stations to stock up on fuel amid an expected shortage..The destruction of container cranes will degrade the Houthis' ability to conduct weapons shipments from Iran, however, the largest impact will be on the civilian population as the port served as one of the primary points of entry for humanitarian aid..The strikes also caused localized power outages; however, the Yemeni News Agency reported that "electricity service has been fully restored to Hodeidah Governorate from alternative sources in conjunction with large and joint efforts to contain the fire caused by the bombing of diesel fuel tanks at the station.".The Lead Up.The strikes were in direct retaliation to last Thursday's attack against Tel Aviv, which killed one person and wounded several others near the American Embassy Branch Office..Debris from the scene showed a wing consistent with a Samad-type drone, which is operated by several Iran-backed proxy groups. However, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated that a new drone type, named "Jaffa," was used. He claims it is "capable of bypassing interceptor systems and being undetectable by radars.".At the time of the attack, there were no air raid alerts or signs of interceptions before the strike..The Times of Israel, citing the Israeli Air Force, reported that the drone was identified but not engaged by air defenses due to "human error." Whether the drone truly evaded detection and for how long remains unknown..While the new Jaffa drone closely resembles a standard Samad-series drone, a key difference is the range. The extended range Samad-3 has a maximum range of only 1,500 km, while the alleged flight path of the Jaffa saw it travel nearly double the distance, marking a significant increase in Houthi drone capabilities..What is Next.It remains unknown what the Houthis will seek to target. While attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the region are expected, the claim that a "major escalation" is coming and that a new stage of operations is commencing suggests that they will likely attempt to target Israel or Israeli interests directly. As stated, they have previously warned of continued drone strikes against Tel Aviv; however, we can possibly see the Houthis attempt to target other cities in Israel or interests located throughout the region.
Over the past 24 hours, there has been a notable uptick in messaging by the Houthis warning of an impending response to Israeli strikes that targeted the Yemeni port city of al-Hudaydah last week, which hit port, fuel, and energy infrastructure..Threats of Retaliation.In a video statement, Houthi movement leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned that "joint operations between the Yemeni Armed Forces and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq will witness – God willing – a major escalation in the coming period," adding that "the response to the Israeli aggression on al-Hudaydah is coming, and we will continue to support Gaza without hesitation.".Likewise, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted on X that "the Yemeni response is coming… It will achieve a decisive victory" and that "we are proceeding in the fifth stage of escalation.".What the "fifth stage of escalation" is remains unknown. Back in May, the Houthis announced the "fourth stage of escalation," which included expanding attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Mediterranean Sea, although this has yet to happen despite claims made by the group..Immediately following the strikes, Saree stated that "the Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they will respond to this blatant aggression and that, with the help of Allah Almighty, they will not hesitate to strike the vital targets of the Israeli enemy, while confirming what was stated in their previous statement regarding considering the occupied Jaffa [Tel Aviv] area as an unsafe area.".The Strikes.On July 20, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of strikes targeting port, fuel, and power infrastructure in the coastal city of al-Hudaydah, Yemen, nearly a day after a Houthi drone attack against Tel Aviv..IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari stated that Israeli strikes were carried out on "Houthi military targets," such as the city's port, which is "used by the Houthis as a main supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons from Iran to Yemen, like the UAV itself that was used in the attack on Friday morning."."In the area of the port, the Israeli Air Force struck dual-use infrastructure used for terrorist activities, including energy infrastructures," he added..Geolocation of the strikes showed extensive damage to the al-Hudaydah port and fuel terminal, causing a large-scale fire that burned for days. Likewise, strikes targeted the port's two primary container cranes and a power station located north of the city..According to the US-based Navanti Group, the strikes reduced the port's fuel storage capacity from 150,000 to 50,000 tonnes. Immediately following the strikes, there were reports of Yemeni civilians rushing to gas stations to stock up on fuel amid an expected shortage..The destruction of container cranes will degrade the Houthis' ability to conduct weapons shipments from Iran, however, the largest impact will be on the civilian population as the port served as one of the primary points of entry for humanitarian aid..The strikes also caused localized power outages; however, the Yemeni News Agency reported that "electricity service has been fully restored to Hodeidah Governorate from alternative sources in conjunction with large and joint efforts to contain the fire caused by the bombing of diesel fuel tanks at the station.".The Lead Up.The strikes were in direct retaliation to last Thursday's attack against Tel Aviv, which killed one person and wounded several others near the American Embassy Branch Office..Debris from the scene showed a wing consistent with a Samad-type drone, which is operated by several Iran-backed proxy groups. However, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated that a new drone type, named "Jaffa," was used. He claims it is "capable of bypassing interceptor systems and being undetectable by radars.".At the time of the attack, there were no air raid alerts or signs of interceptions before the strike..The Times of Israel, citing the Israeli Air Force, reported that the drone was identified but not engaged by air defenses due to "human error." Whether the drone truly evaded detection and for how long remains unknown..While the new Jaffa drone closely resembles a standard Samad-series drone, a key difference is the range. The extended range Samad-3 has a maximum range of only 1,500 km, while the alleged flight path of the Jaffa saw it travel nearly double the distance, marking a significant increase in Houthi drone capabilities..What is Next.It remains unknown what the Houthis will seek to target. While attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the region are expected, the claim that a "major escalation" is coming and that a new stage of operations is commencing suggests that they will likely attempt to target Israel or Israeli interests directly. As stated, they have previously warned of continued drone strikes against Tel Aviv; however, we can possibly see the Houthis attempt to target other cities in Israel or interests located throughout the region.
