By: Fern Sidman

In a marked evolution of its military strategy in the Red Sea region, Israel launched a precision drone strike in the early hours of July 21 targeting port infrastructure in Hodeidah, Yemen — a known base of operations for the Iranian-backed Houthi naval threat. The operation, carried out exclusively using unmanned aerial systems (UAS), represents a shift from previous Israeli actions, which typically involved manned aircraft, according to a detailed report from maritime-executive.com.

Unlike conventional airstrikes relying on fighter jets and manned bombers capable of delivering large payloads, this operation leveraged the tactical advantages of drones. While drones carry a lighter ordnance load, their ability to loiter over a target area and strike with precision at the optimal moment renders them an increasingly viable — and in some scenarios, superior — alternative to manned missions. As the report at maritime-executive.com noted, drone operations offer cost-effective, persistent presence without risking aircrews, and are capable of delivering highly accurate strikes against agile or time-sensitive targets.

The July 21 strike underscores the changing nature of Israeli counter-Houthi operations along the southern Red Sea, where the Houthis have escalated maritime attacks in recent months. By deploying drones, Israel eliminates the need for large-scale air campaigns involving multiple assets — including fighters, surveillance aircraft, tankers, and electronic warfare platforms — to travel over 1,200 miles from Israeli air bases to the Yemeni coastline and back.

Though Israel has not officially disclosed which platforms were used in the strike, maritime-executive.com highlights two possible drone systems in the Israeli inventory capable of such a mission: the IAI Heron TP Eitan and the Elbit Systems Hermes 900 Kochav. Both drones are classified as medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) platforms and are widely acknowledged for their versatility and performance in extended missions.

Focusing on the Hermes 900, the maritime-executive.com report pointed to its operational suitability for a strike mission like that of July 21. With a range exceeding 1,250 miles, a 24-hour loitering capacity, and a payload of up to 450 kilograms, the Hermes 900 can be outfitted with high-resolution surveillance systems and an array of precision-guided munitions. One likely armament candidate is the Rafael Aerospike missile, a lightweight standoff weapon capable of engaging moving targets up to 30 kilometers away, allowing for swift strikes once attack criteria are met.

This capability enables Israeli forces to maintain real-time surveillance on Houthi naval activity — including their fleet of explosive-laden sea drones and fast attack boats — and initiate engagements only when hostile intent is confirmed. Such a tactical posture not only conserves resources but also complicates Houthi planning by introducing a persistent and unpredictable threat axis.

As the report at maritime-executive.com emphasized, the drone strike strategy could operate in tandem with — but remain operationally distinct from — maritime interdiction efforts led by regional partners. In particular, the National Resistance Forces under General Tareq Abdullah Saleh have scored notable successes in intercepting smuggled arms shipments destined for the Houthis. These operations, conducted at sea, have targeted the flow of Iranian-manufactured components critical to the Houthis’ long-range drones and precision missile systems.

The Maritime-executive.com report highlighted incidents from early May and late June where General Tareq’s forces seized advanced weapon shipments, demonstrating the ongoing dependency of the Houthis on Tehran for military resupply. The July 21 drone strike, then, should be viewed not in isolation but as part of a layered strategy to degrade Houthi strike capabilities both at sea and ashore. Whereas naval interception addresses the supply chain, precision drone strikes directly target the operational assets and personnel executing attacks on commercial shipping.

This approach reflects a refined Israeli calculus — one that seeks to neutralize threats at their point of origin rather than relying exclusively on reactive naval defenses in the sprawling and strategically vital waters of the Red Sea. As the maritime-executive.com report noted, relying on maritime assets to be in the right place at the right time is inherently flawed given the size of the operational theater and the unpredictability of Houthi tactics.

Local Yemeni sources, cited by maritime-executive.com, reported that seven Houthi naval commandos were killed in the strike while aboard a speedboat attempting to leave Hodeidah port for a routine mission. This specific team had reportedly been involved in previous harassment and assault operations targeting international commercial vessels. Their elimination suggests that the July 21 strike was not merely symbolic but functionally disruptive to Houthi operations.

The death of these operatives, combined with the destruction of port infrastructure, sends a signal to both the Houthis and their Iranian sponsors that Israel is willing and able to escalate its operations beyond maritime interdiction and retaliatory missile strikes. Whether this event marks the beginning of a sustained campaign of drone-based attrition remains to be seen, but maritime-executive.com points to this moment as the first tangible indication that a proactive suppression strategy may be achievable.

For commercial shippers navigating the Red Sea — a vital conduit for global trade linking the Suez Canal to the Arabian Sea — the evolving Israeli strategy has broader implications. The use of drones to preemptively strike threats before they leave port could reduce the risk profile for merchant vessels in a region where navigation has increasingly been imperiled by Houthi aggression.

As maritime-executive.com has covered, the Houthis’ use of unmanned surface vessels (USVs), sea mines, and missile attacks on merchant traffic has challenged international shipping norms and risked drawing foreign navies deeper into regional conflicts. A successful air-based suppression effort, particularly one that leverages persistent, low-cost, and scalable platforms like drones, could alter the security calculus and reduce the need for expanded naval patrols.

However, the report also cautions that any such strategy has its limitations. The complexities of Yemen’s internal landscape, the deep-rooted relationship between the Houthis and Iran, and the fluid nature of asymmetric maritime warfare make any long-term resolution uncertain. Nevertheless, in the short term, the strike on Hodeidah represents a pivot point — one that showcases how technology and operational innovation can address strategic vulnerabilities in difficult theaters.

Israel’s drone strike on Houthi positions in Hodeidah on July 21 marks a significant evolution in its campaign to secure maritime traffic in the Red Sea. Moving away from conventional manned air operations, the adoption of medium-range drones such as the Hermes 900 presents a flexible and effective alternative — one capable of persistent surveillance, rapid engagement, and low operational risk.

As the maritime-executive.com report astutely observed, this approach not only responds to the immediate threat posed by Houthi naval assets but also fits into a broader, multi-domain strategy to disrupt Iranian-backed proxy operations at their root. Whether this signals the beginning of a new phase in regional security policy or a tactical experiment remains to be seen, but for now, the results of the July 21 operation offer a glimpse into the future of modern maritime and air warfare in the Red Sea corridor.