IDF downs Houthi drone; Trump shares video of purported US strike on the rebels
Iran-backed Yemeni group says drone, which was intercepted over southern Israel, was launched at a ‘military target’ in the Tel Aviv area
Israeli air defenses on Friday evening downed a drone launched from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
A statement from the military on the interception said the drone was launched at Israel “from the east.”
The drone was shot down over the Arava area in southern Israel. Sirens were not activated in any towns.
The Houthis later took responsibility for the attack, claiming to have targeted a “military target” in the Tel Aviv area.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched at least 10 ballistic missiles at Israel.
The Houthis on Friday also claimed to have shot down an American reconnaissance drone over Yemen, where American forces have carried out major raids in recent weeks in response to the rebel group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping.
US President Donald Trump posted a video purportedly showing an American strike killing dozens of Houthi fighters, adding the comment “oops.”
Resembling images shot from military drones or other loitering aircraft, the black-and-white footage Trump posted to his Truth Social network shows several dozen human figures from an almost vertical angle.
“These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack,” Trump wrote in an accompanying text.
These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis!
They will never sink our ships again!
Donald Trump Truth Social 04/04/25 05:40 PM pic.twitter.com/zafEdKwKtM
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 4, 2025
Gathered in a loose oval along a road, the people in the video are superimposed with a gun camera-style crosshair. A few seconds in, a bright flash appears in the middle of the scene, followed by billowing smoke.
The footage cuts to a wider shot showing a column of smoke over the apparent impact site and several vehicles parked further up the road. The camera then cuts closer again to show a broad crater at the point of impact. No bodies are readily identifiable.
“Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis,” Trump wrote.
“They will never sink our ships again!”
Officials and media outlets belonging to the Houthis have reported multiple deaths in dozens of strikes this week that they blamed on the United States.
The group has attacked commercial and military shipping in what it says is a response to Israel’s campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Washington said Wednesday it would send a second aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, to join the USS Harry S. Truman in the Middle East “to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.