Daijiworld Media Network- Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Jul 22: Tensions in the Middle East escalated further as the Israeli military on Tuesday announced it had successfully intercepted a missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen, barely a day after Israeli airstrikes targeted key infrastructure at the strategic Hodeidah port.

In an official statement released on Telegram, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that sirens had sounded in multiple regions across Israel moments before the missile—fired from Yemen—was shot down by the Israeli Air Force.

The latest interception follows Monday’s air raid by Israel on Hodeidah, a critical port under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi militia. Israel claimed the strikes aimed to prevent the Houthis from restoring infrastructure used to launch attacks against the Jewish state.

“Sites of the Houthi terror regime at the port of Hodeidah were targeted to prevent the reactivation of previously damaged infrastructure,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated. Sending a stern warning, he added, “Yemen’s fate will be the same as Tehran’s,” signaling Israel’s growing resolve against regional threats.

According to a Houthi security source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, the bombing destroyed parts of the port's dock area, which had only recently been rebuilt following prior Israeli assaults.

The Houthis, in what they claim is an act of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, have intensified missile and drone operations targeting Israel. The group has also resumed strikes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, particularly aiming at ships they allege are linked to Israel, seeking to exert pressure on the country to halt its military campaign in Gaza.

With both nations hardening their stances, international observers are expressing concern over the potential spillover of the Israel-Gaza conflict into a broader regional confrontation.