Latest news with #Katz
L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Israel weighs resuming campaign against Iran, Tehran says it's ready to retaliate
BEIRUT — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday evening that Israel could consider resuming its military campaign against Iran, according to Israeli media reports. He made the remarks during a security assessment meeting with senior officials from the army's intelligence services. Katz underscored the importance of maintaining Israel's air superiority, achieved during Operation "Rising Lion," and urged the development of a clear plan to prevent Iran from restoring its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the Jerusalem Post reported. On regional security, Katz said two fronts remain active — Gaza and Yemen — and stressed that both must be addressed in line with what he described as Israel's "successful" offensive strategy against threats from Iran, Lebanon and Syria. He also highlighted the ongoing deployment of Israeli forces at strategic checkpoints and sensitive locations in Syria and Lebanon, calling the military occupation of those areas "essential for the protection of Israeli communities." The defense minister concluded by urging the army to prepare for potential security threats in the coming period. 'We are preparing for all scenarios' In response, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said that his country was 'fully prepared for any new Israeli military offensive,' in an interview with Al Jazeera. 'Our armed forces are ready to retaliate and strike deep inside Israel,' he said, adding that Tehran does not trust the current cease-fire and is preparing for 'all possible scenarios.' Pezeshkian accused Israel of trying — and failing — to destabilize and dismantle Iran, saying both sides have inflicted heavy blows, though Israel 'conceals its losses.' The war between Israel and Iran killed at least 1,060 people in Iran, according to authorities. On the Israeli side, the official death toll stands at 28. The Iranian president was slightly injured during an Israeli bombing that targeted a building in Tehran where the Supreme National Security Council was meeting. The strike came three days after the outbreak of a 12-Day War between the two countries, triggered by an Israeli airstrike on June 13 that targeted military and nuclear facilities as well as senior figures in the Iranian regime. A cease-fire, brokered under U.S. pressure, has held since June 24 after the U.S. military launched a series of unprecedented airstrikes on several Iranian nuclear sites.
Yemen Online
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Fears of escalation after Israel hits Houthi-held Yemen port
Israel pounded Yemen's Houthi-held port of Hodeida with air strikes on Monday for the second time in a month, stoking fears of escalation as it warned Yemen could face the same fate as Iran. Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen have come under repeated Israeli strikes since the militia began launching missile and drone attacks on Israel, declaring they act in solidarity with Palestinians over the Gaza war. In its latest raids, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel struck 'targets of the Houthi terror regime at the port of Hodeida' and aimed to prevent any attempt to restore infrastructure previously hit. The renewed strikes on Yemen are part of a year-long Israeli bombing campaign against the Houthis, but the latest threats have raised fears of a wider conflict in the poverty-stricken Arabian Peninsula country. 'Yemen's fate will be the same as Tehran's,' Katz said. His warning was a reference to the wave of suprise strikes Israel launched on Iran on June 13, targeting key military and nuclear facilities. During the 12-day war, the United States carried out its own attacks on Iran's nuclear program on June 22, striking facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. Any Israeli escalation could 'plunge the region into utter chaos,' said a Gulf official, requesting anonymity because he cannot brief the media. The Houthis' Al-Masirah television reported 'a series of Israeli air strikes on the Hodeida port.' A Houthi security official, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP that 'the bombing destroyed the port's dock, which had been rebuilt following previous strikes.' On July 7, Israeli strikes hit Hodeida and two nearby locations on the coast, with targets including the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, captured in November 2023, which the Israelis said had been outfitted with a radar system to track shipping in the Red Sea. A Yemeni port employee in Hodeida said the strikes targeted 'heavy equipment brought in for construction and repair work after Israeli airstrikes on July 7... and areas around the port and fishing boats.' An Israeli military statement said that the targets included 'engineering vehicles... fuel containers, naval vessels used for military activities' against Israel and 'additional terror infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime.' It said the port had been used to transfer weapons from Iran, which were then used by the Houthis against Israel. The statement added that Israel had identified efforts by the Iran-backed rebels to 're-establish terrorist infrastructure at the port.' The Houthis recently resumed deadly attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, targeting ships they accuse of having links to Israel.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Israeli military attacks Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port
The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday (July 21, 2025) in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army was "forcefully countering any attempt to restore the terror infrastructure previously attacked." The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said on Monday that a series of attacks on the port was under way, without providing any details. The Israeli military said in a statement that the port it attacked had been used "among other things, to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are then used by the Houthi to execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and its allies." Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians. Israel has responded by launching attacks on Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port. "As I have made clear – Yemen's fate is the same as Tehran's. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel," Katz said. The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said on Monday that the group attacked several targets in Israel with drones, which was in response to Israel's recent attack on Hodeidah port and the continued military campaign against Gaza. Earlier in July, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on the Greek ship Eternity C that maritime officials say killed four of the 25 people aboard. In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.
Yemen Online
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Yemen : IDF says attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port
Aden - The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army was 'forcefully countering any attempt to restore the terror infrastructure previously attacked.' The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said on Monday that a series of attacks on the port was under way, without providing any details. In a statement, the Israeli military said the port it attacked had been used 'among other things, to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are then used by the Houthi to execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and its allies.' A security official with the Houthis told AFP that Israeli strikes destroyed a dock that had been rebuilt after it was damaged in earlier attacks. 'The bombing destroyed the port's dock, which had been rebuilt following previous strikes,' the official told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians. Israel has responded by launching attacks on Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port. 'As I have made clear – Yemen's fate is the same as Tehran's. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel,' Katz said. Earlier in July, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on the Greek ship Eternity C that maritime officials say killed four of the 25 people aboard. In May, the US announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Israel Hits Houthi Targets in Yemeni Port to Halt Missile Fire
Israel struck Houthi targets in Yemen's port of Hodeida on Monday, in retaliation for a series of missile volleys from the group over the last week. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the attack was intended to prevent attempts by the Iranian-backed group to restore damaged infrastructure. The Israeli military said it targeted vehicles the Houthis were using to rebuild port infrastructure, as well as fuel storage sites and naval vessels. 'The Houthis will pay a heavy price for firing missiles at the State of Israel,' Katz said. Despite repeated Israeli strikes on the strategic port of Hodeida and sites such as the airport in the capital Sanaa — both in Houthi-controlled territory — the group has maintained regular missile attacks on Israel and commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis began strikes in solidarity with Palestinians after Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza started in October 2023. The militant group — which took control of Yemen's capital in 2014 — attacked two cargo ships in the Red Sea earlier this month, sinking both and killing several seafarers. They were the first assaults on merchant shipping since November. The resumption of shipping attacks comes after a ceasefire between the group and the US, announced by President Donald Trump in May. That followed an intense US bombing campaign on Houthi targets. Trump's officials said the campaign significantly weakened the Houthis, though critics said it was a costly exercise that drained American munitions stockpiles. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV confirmed on Monday that the Israeli military had launched a series of air strikes on Hodeida. Israel's military said the port has been used, among other things, to transfer weapons from the Iranian government and as a hub for the attacks on passing vessels. With assistance from Mohammed Hatem and Verity Ratcliffe.
