A missile strike by the Israeli Navy on Yemen’s Hodeidah port earlier Tuesday marks a new phase in Israel’s ongoing campaign against the Houthi rebel group, Israeli military officials said, highlighting the expanding role of naval forces in the Red Sea. The operation, carried out by the Navy’s 3rd Flotilla using Sa’ar 6-class corvettes and other naval vessels, targeted infrastructure used for arms smuggling, a senior official said. At 7 a.m. Tuesday, two long-range precision missiles were launched from ships in the northern Red Sea, striking the port’s entrance and docking areas. Israeli officials said the site serves as a key conduit for smuggling weapons and military equipment to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the port is a major “bottleneck” for smuggling operations, including missiles fired at Israel and other targets in the southern Red Sea. The military has designated the area a combat zone and said the goal is to disrupt Houthi maritime trade and deter commercial vessels from docking at the site. Unlike Israeli Air Force jets, which require roughly three hours of flight time each way, the missile ships enable a sustained presence in the Red Sea, offering operational flexibility and continuous coverage. The operation used precision-guided missiles capable of striking distant targets with high accuracy. A senior defense source said “the sea was good,” noting that favorable maritime conditions allowed for the complex strike to be executed successfully. The mission required navigating long distances, challenging terrain, and crowded regional waters. The strike was meticulously planned by the IDF General Staff, with precise coordination involving the Navy, Air Force, and Israel’s intelligence agencies. Officials said target selection was based on real-time intelligence and incorporated deception and concealment tactics to navigate the crowded environment of the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Female naval officers were also part of the mission. Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv Military officials believe repeated strikes on ports in the Hodeidah area have reduced commercial shipping traffic. While the Houthis continue to launch missiles at Israel, Israeli sources say the attacks have hampered the group’s ability to maintain steady supply lines. “The goal is to keep deepening the impact on their infrastructure until international shipping companies deem these ports too risky,” one official said. The IDF said it expects further operations as part of its broader campaign against the Houthis, potentially including additional strikes on ports and critical infrastructure. Officials emphasized that the use of missile ships demonstrates Israel’s ability to conduct long-range, precise military operations even thousands of kilometers from its borders, especially at a time when the United States has ceased its own strikes in Yemen in recent weeks. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Telegram