IDF Continues Airstrikes on Sanaa Airport & Houthi Military Targets in Yemen Following Attack on Ben Gurion Airport

By: Fern Sidman

In a powerful demonstration of military resolve and strategic precision, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a sweeping series of targeted airstrikes late Monday night against Iranian-backed Houthi military infrastructure in Yemen. As reported by VIN News on Tuesday, the Israeli strikes were launched in direct retaliation for a series of escalating Houthi attacks, including an unprecedented missile strike on Ben Gurion International Airport that left several Israeli civilians wounded and sparked nationwide alarm.

According to the information provided in the VIN News report, the Israeli Air Force targeted multiple high-value sites, with particular focus on Sanaa International Airport — a facility the IDF described as a central hub for the transfer of Iranian weapons and terrorist operatives. “The airport was regularly used by the Houthi regime to transfer weapons and operatives and served as a launch point for terror attacks targeting Israeli civilians,” the IDF said in a statement following the strikes.

The precision bombing raid reportedly disabled the airport completely, a significant blow to the Houthi military network and its logistical capabilities. The airport, located in the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen, has long been suspected of serving as a conduit for Iranian arms and a staging ground for drone and missile assaults on Israeli and Gulf targets.

Houthi-controlled planes in Yemen absolutely annihilated.

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 In addition to the airport, VIN News reported that Israeli fighter jets struck a number of additional strategic targets, including Houthi-operated power stations near Sanaa and a concrete factory located to the north of the city. According to IDF assessments, the cement facility was being utilized to manufacture tunnel systems and military infrastructure essential to the Houthis’ asymmetric warfare tactics.

“The strike on the concrete factory constitutes a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup,” the IDF added, reinforcing Israel’s commitment to degrading the Houthi militia’s warfighting capabilities while limiting harm to Yemen’s civilian population. The VIN News report confirmed that Israeli military officials took extensive precautions to warn civilians near the targeted areas prior to the operation, consistent with the IDF’s rules of engagement and long-standing ethical protocols.

🇾🇪-Thick black smoke emitting from #Sana ’a International Airport, with fuel storage and other airport infrastructure appearing to have been targeted by this morning’s strikes.

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The operation follows a sharp escalation in Houthi aggression against Israel, which has intensified in both scale and scope since the start of the war with Hamas in Gaza. As VIN News has previously reported, the Houthis have become increasingly vocal about their alignment with Iran’s broader regional strategy and have taken responsibility for multiple long-range drone and missile attacks, most of which have been intercepted by Israeli defense systems. However, the direct hit on Ben Gurion Airport over the weekend marked a disturbing turning point.

In a fiery statement following the airstrikes, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz made it clear that Monday night’s operation was not only about deterring the Houthis, but also about sending a broader message to their backers in Tehran. “It is also a warning to the Iranian head of the octopus,” Katz said, “You bear direct responsibility for any attack by the Houthi tentacle against the State of Israel, and you will also bear the full consequences.”

As the VIN News report noted, the “head of the octopus” metaphor has become a central theme in Israel’s doctrine regarding Iran and its proxy militias. Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasized that Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen all operate under the command umbrella of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In response, Israel has vowed not only to strike individual threats, but to eventually confront the Iranian regime directly if provocations continue.

While Monday’s airstrikes may mark the first major Israeli military action inside Yemen in this conflict, VIN News reported that they reflect a broader shift in Israel’s security posture — one that prioritizes preemptive, intelligence-driven operations against threats far from its borders. The strategic reach and effectiveness of the Israeli Air Force, demonstrated once again in these precision raids, serve both as a military deterrent and as a statement of national resilience.

With tensions running high across the Middle East and Iranian proxies stepping up their involvement in multi-front attacks, Israel’s latest operation sends a clear message: those who target its civilians, regardless of distance or disguise, will face swift and decisive consequences.