Israel strikes Yemeni ports as tensions flare with Iran-backed Houthis and Hezbollah
The News
At least six people are dead and several dozen injured after Israeli fighter jets struck a Yemeni port reportedly serving as a Houthi military base, the Iranian proxy group said Sunday.
The Israeli Defense Forces also confirmed targeting Hezbollah weapon depots in southern Lebanon.
The retaliatory strikes came after Friday’s drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed a 50-year-old Israeli man. The Houthis took responsibility; this is perhaps the first time the group has targeted the city and signals worsening tensions in the region between the Iran-aligned militias and Israel over the war in Gaza.
The fighting comes just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit the US. He is due to meet with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday and address Congress on Wednesday. It’s a politically fraught moment for both leaders, as Biden faces mounting pressure to drop his reelection campaign while Natenyahu contends with a disenchanted global community pressing him to accept a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
