Israel intercepts Yemen drone; US defense chief: ‘It’s about to get worse’ for Houthis
Iran-backed group claims drone targeted ‘military target’ in Tel Aviv area, also claims to launch missile at US ships in Red Sea; Trump says US military campaign ‘very successful’
A drone launched at Israel “from the east” was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force Monday evening, the military said.
According to the IDF, the drone was shot down before crossing into Israel, and therefore no sirens sounded, “according to protocol.”
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen quickly took responsibility for the attack, saying they launched a drone at Israel, claiming to have had their sights on a “military target” in the Tel Aviv area
The Houthis also claimed to have targeted two US destroyers in the Red Sea with several missiles and drones.
During US President Donald Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, Trump said the United States military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen has been “very successful militarily.”
“We’ve really damaged them,” he said, adding that “it’s every night, night after night, and we’ve gotten many of their leaders and their experts.”
“It’s been a bad three weeks for the Houthis,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added, “and it’s about to get worse.”
He said the US has destroyed underground facilities, weapons manufacturing sites, bunkers, troops, and air defense assets.
“We are not going to relent,” said Hegseth, “and it’s only going to be more unrelenting until the Houthis declare they will stop shooting at our ships.”
He added that the US has been “very clear” to the Iranians that they must stop providing support for the Houthis.
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, resuming a campaign of bombardment they began in support of Gaza.
The missiles have all been intercepted by the air defenses, but they set off sirens that send millions of Israelis scrambling to shelters at all hours of the day and night. On Friday night, the IDF intercepted a drone that the Houthis later said was aimed at the Tel Aviv region.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian terror group Hamas led some 5,000 attackers to invade southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 as hostages to the enclave.
The Iran-backed Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year.
They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success. In addition, they targeted Israel with missiles and drones, killing one person in Tel Aviv and causing significant damage on a number of occasions. Most of the projectiles were intercepted.
The attacks greatly raised the profile of the Houthis, who faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting dissent and aid workers in Yemen amid a decade-long stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.
An intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under Trump targeting the rebels has killed at least 69 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis.
The campaign shows no signs of stopping as the Trump administration has repeatedly linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The Times of Israel Community.