Israel Waited For Trump To Depart Gulf Before Launching Biggest Anti-Houthi Strikes Yet

Following more Houthi ballistic missile attacks targeting Israel in recent days, the IDF conducted a wave of new airstrikes in Yemen on Friday, and crucially as the US military has stepped back amid the Trump-declared ceasefire.

The IDF announced that its airstrikes destroyed infrastructure at the Houthi-controlled ports of Hodeidah and Salif, following missile and drone attacks on Israel. Several dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft were involved, in a major operation that included not just fighter jets, but refueler and surveillance planes.

This operation appears significantly bigger and more expansive in scope than all prior rounds of Israeli attacks on Yemen. The strikes will likely continue in the coming days, especially if the Houthis respond with more attacks on Israel. The timing of Trump having just wrapped up his Gulf Arab states tour is interesting, to say the least.

“These ports are used for the transfer of weapons and are another example of the cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure by the Houthi terror regime to advance terror,” the IDF aid.

Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport was targeted by Israel for the second time, and much of it, including commercial aircraft, has already been destroyed.

The IDF said further that its goal is to “deepen the damage to the Houthis’ terror capabilities.” Interestingly all of this comes as President Trump departs the Middle East, after his four-day Gulf tour, which made little mention of Israel or of the Houthis – at least in public comments.

According to Times of Israel, these attacks were delayed so as not to disrupt Trump’s Gulf visit:

Israel waited until the end of US President Trump’s visit to the region before launching its reprisal strikes on the Houthis, a defense source tells Army Radio. Since the IDF’s last strike on Yemen, on May 6, the Houthis launched at least seven missiles and two drones at Israel.

“The IDF now struck and severely damaged the ports in Yemen that are under the control of the Houthi terror group. The airport in Sanaa also remains destroyed,” Defense Minister Katz has also described on X.

From the bombing of Ras Issa port, northwest Yemen pic.twitter.com/a50AGfjlIj

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) May 16, 2025

“As we said, if the Houthis continue to fire missiles on Israel, they will suffer painful blows, and we will also strike the heads of terror just as we did to Deif and the Sinwars in Gaza, to Nasrallah in Beirut and Haniyeh in Tehran,” he added.

Underscoring just what a major and important operation this is, the Israeli government issued images of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his security cabinet leaders and top military commanders huddling in a command bunker:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir are huddled in the Israeli Air Force underground command center during the strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

This is clearly Bibi ‘at war’… ironically as Trump wrapped up his regional tour emphasizing peace through deal-making, not chaos.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in the situation room as Air Force jets attack infrastructure of the Houthi terrorist regime in Yemen.

– Shira Keinan/Defense Ministry pic.twitter.com/gfnhIwTrBM

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 16, 2025

Israel is further vowing to decapitate Houthi leadership. “We will hunt down and eliminate Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in Yemen as well. We will defend ourselves by our own strength against any enemy,” Katz added.