Iran Condemns Israeli Strikes on Yemen as Violation of International Law
Baqaei also urged global and regional actors to intervene against what he described as continuous “US-Israeli destruction in Islamic countries.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran on Tuesday fiercely condemned Israeli airstrikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, labeling them a serious violation of international law, after Houthi rebels—backed by Tehran—claimed a missile attack on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.
The Israeli military said its fighter jets on Monday struck several Houthi targets along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and inland areas. The sites, it said, were used to transfer Iranian weapons and military equipment. The strikes reportedly hit the Hodeida port and the Bajil district in western Yemen, injuring dozens, according to Houthi sources.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticized the Israeli operation, calling it “a blatant crime and a gross violation of the principles and rules of international law.” He also urged global and regional actors to intervene against what he described as continuous “US-Israeli destruction in Islamic countries.”
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, blamed both the United States and Israel for the attack, though a U.S. defense official denied any American involvement in Monday’s operation.
The Israeli response followed a missile strike claimed by the Houthis on Sunday, which targeted Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. The attack reportedly left several people injured and marked a rare successful strike deep inside Israeli territory from Yemen.
The incident marks a dangerous escalation in regional hostilities as the Gaza war continues to ripple outward. Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the conflict has expanded across multiple fronts involving Iran-aligned militias—including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen—under what Tehran calls the “axis of resistance.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed continued retaliatory action against both "the Houthis and their sponsor, Iran". In a televised statement, Netanyahu accused Iran of fueling regional instability through its militant proxies and warned that Israel would respond forcefully.
As tensions mount, international observers fear that the spiraling tit-for-tat strikes risk widening the ongoing Gaza conflict into a broader Middle East war.
