On Tuesday Israeli Defense minister Israel Katz has warned Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis that they could face a complete naval and air blockade if they do not halt attacks on Israel. This comes after several weeks ago President Trump withdrew American forces from engaging in the Red Sea theatre against the Houthis, having declared a US-Yemen ceasefire.
Israel's military has just conducted its eleventh strike on the Houthis, but in a first of the conflict, this came first by sea rather than air. The Israeli Navy conducted its first-ever large-scale ops against the Houthis, targeting the port of Hodeida in western Yemen with long-range guided missiles fired from Sa'ar 6-class corvettes.
The IDF called the attack "unprecedented" - given that it was carried out from hundreds of kilometers away, or about 1,800 km from Israel, according to local media reports. The Israeli Air Force had long been active in Yemen operations, but not naval assets.
"We have warned the Houthi terror organization that if they continue to shoot at Israel, they will face a powerful response and be under a naval and aerial blockade," Defense minister Katz said in the operation's aftermath.
"This is what we did today, and we will continue to do so in the future," he additionally warned. Tit-for-tat strikes between Yemen and Israel have now become routine, hearkening all the way back to the Gaza War's start in the wake of the Oct.7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks.
However, the Houthis have tended to halt attacks on Israel during periods of truce between Israel and Hamas. But with no ceasefire on the horizon, the Shia group allied to Iran has stepped-up the drone and missile attacks, often targeting Tel Aviv, including the international airport.
Israel's fresh use of its navy in the Red Sea seems clearly an effort to replace American military assets which were heavily patrolling regional waters. Pentagon forces (CENTCOM) are still present in the region, but have taken a backseat.
Meanwhile, civilians on both sides will likely continue to suffer - and civilian aviation in the whole region could be impacted.
Below: Israel's military issued footage of one a naval ship setting out for the strike on the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah port in western Yemen overnight.
This also as Israel has vowed to decapitate Houthi leadership, saying it will hunt down and eliminate Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in Yemen, along with his top military officials.
But short of an actual ground war, which Israel doesn't have the stomach for - also given ongoing Gaza operations - taking out Houthi leadership and infrastructure will be easier said than done.