Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday morning's airstrikes across Yemen targeting Iran-backed Houthi militias marked a decisive step in dismantling Tehran’s regional alliance.
"After Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are almost the last arm of Iran's axis of evil. They are finding out, and will find out, the hard way that whoever harms Israel – will pay a very heavy price," he said.
He made the remarks following dozens of strikes across Yemen early Thursday, about an hour after a Houthi missile struck a school in Ramat Gan.
"This morning, the Air Force attacked strategic targets of the Houthis in the port of Hodeidah and deep into Yemen," Netanyahu said. "We did this in response to repeated Houthi attacks against civilian targets in Israel," he added.
Last year, the Houthis launched a maritime blockade of the Red Sea region. Originally aimed at Israeli-linked vessels, it has since targeted global shipping.
"They are not attacking just us – they are attacking the entire world," Netanyahu said. "They are attacking the international shipping and commercial lanes. Thus, when Israel takes action against the Houthis, it is acting on behalf of the entire international community. The Americans understand this very well, as do many others."
In February, US and British forces launched a series of strikes on Houthi targets. They were supported by an international coalition, including Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada and the Netherlands.
