The Long Arm Of Israel - Strike On Houthis A Warning To Iran

The Israeli Air Force strikes on key Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, targeting, among others, a fuel port used by the terror regime in Yemen to smuggle Iranian weapons, was also a warning to the Houthis' Iranian sponsors.

"Operation Long Arm," which was carried out by F-15 Eagles, according to the Israeli military, and also F-35 stealth fighters, according to unconfirmed media reports, covered the same distance needed to hit targets in Iran, which does not lack vulnerable ports filled with oil and natural gas storage facilities.

Unlike the F-15 and F-16, the F-35 is a single-engine aircraft with a single pilot rather than a pilot and navigator crew who can assist in operating advanced attack munitions. However, it has several significant advantages in long-range attacks.

The first of these advantages is stealth; radars find it very difficult to detect the F-35 due to its structure and the materials it is coated with, which absorb most of the electromagnetic waves. An attacking F-35 will be detected much later than an F-15 or F-16, usually too late to respond. This is also important concerning the attack on Yemen, as the Houthis have already demonstrated that they possess anti-aircraft missile systems, and they have already shot down American UAVs.

The aircraft also has electronic warfare systems, including Israeli systems, which the air force insisted on integrating into the purchased aircraft. These systems are designed to protect the plane when it carries under its wings weapons and fuel tanks that make it less covert.

The second advantage is the aircraft's array of sensors. Israel has already purchased 50 Lockheed Martin aircraft, with most already delivered, and is currently acquiring a third squadron. The list includes advanced radar, optical, and thermal sensors; the ability to intercept radar transmissions; and especially the capability to fuse this information to cross-reference it.

This allows it to locate targets, identify the safest flight path with minimal chances of detection and interception, and share its information with other aircraft and rear command centers. The F-35 is not just an attack aircraft; it has capabilities that, until recently, required a series of surveillance and intelligence-gathering aircraft to achieve.

The third feature is its carrying capacity: 8.1 tons of bombs and missiles, including about 1.4 tons in two internal weapon bays for stealth mode flight, with the rest on external hard points on the wings. This is a lot for a single-engine fighter of this size - not much less than the twin-engine F-15I (11 tons). The F-35 can carry a variety of intelligent bombs, which it can release from dozens to sometimes hundreds of kilometers away from the target, making it possible for a single quartet of Adir aircraft to attack dozens of targets.

The fourth feature is its range: the F-35A model operated by the air force can fly about 1,150 kilometers each way - about 150 kilometers less than the approximately 1,300 kilometers of the F-15 and the F-16 Sufa. All three can be refueled in the air by the IAF's older refueling aircraft, or they can use long-range missiles and bombs, as was done in the attack on the Iranian radar attributed to Israel after the missile and drone attack on April 14.

The strikes were launched in response to a July 18 Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv, which killed Israeli civilian and injured eight others. An initial IAF review found that while Israeli air defenses tracked the drone, it was not classified as hostile due to a human error. 

The drone, identified as an Iranian-made Samad 3, with local improvements to range made by the Houthis, was launched from Yemen and traveled some 1,243 miles to Tel Aviv, where it struck a residential building near the U.S. Embassy. The attack has heightened concerns over the Houthis' capability to execute long-range attacks, although they have been launching such attacks since the start of the current war in Gaza.

An IDF official detailed the extent of the Houthi threat on Saturday, stating, "Over 220 projectiles have been launched by the Houthis against Israeli civilians and infrastructure, the latest one killing a civilian and injuring many more." The official emphasized that "the Houthis attacks are acts of aggression, a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to international security and the Middle east stability. 

I remind you, the Houthis declared a maritime siege on Israel and parts of the Middle east and Europe, and have attacked dozens of times different navy vessels from different countries of all around the world in various terror aggressions, killing people, sinking ships, taking ships, and disrupting the whole economic system in the Middle East and in Europe."

In retaliation, the IAF struck the Hudaydah port, a crucial hub for the transfer of Iranian weapons to Yemen. The IDF official noted that "the target was the Hudaydah port used by the Houthis as the main supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons from Iran to Yemen."

The strike targeted "dual-use infrastructure used for terrorist activities, including energy infrastructure," said the official.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi highlighted the broader implications of these actions, telling Israeli forces during a visit to Rafah in southern Gaza, "It's all Iran. This UAV is Iranian, right? The Houthis took it, upgraded it, made its range longer, and this is Iran, and the funds for the tunnels here is from Iran, and we are operating against Iran with great determination."

The Islamic Republic is "an octopus, it has many arms, you struggle with one arm here, you struggle with others there, and we must understand this matter. It demands excellence against each one," he added. 

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was present at the IAF Command Center in Tel Aviv during the Yemen strikes, made clear that Israel's response was a signal to the entire Iranian-led jihadist axis. "The fire that is currently burning in Hudaydah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear," he said. 

"The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required. The blood of Israeli citizens has a price. This has been made clear in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Yemen, and in other places--if they dare to attack us, the result will be identical."

The drone attack on Tel Aviv is a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by Iranian-backed militias in the region. These terror entities, operating in Yemen, Iraq and Syria, together with Iran's flagship proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, have increasingly relied on UAVs--long-range in the case of Yemen, Iraq and Syria, to target Israel. This strategy aims to stretch Israel's air defenses, which are already dealing with frequent rocket and UAV attacks from Hezbollah in the north.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari addressed the UAV threat, stating that the Samad 3 UAV had entered Israeli airspace from the sea to the west. He confirmed that the UAV was an Iranian weapon system upgraded to increase its flight range.

Hagari also mentioned the continuous efforts to intercept UAVs launched from Yemen, noting, "So far, dozens of UAVs have been launched from Yemen alone; most have been intercepted or shot down while en route or before entering Israeli territory." Most were intercepted by the U.S. naval Task Force in the Red Sea, while the remainder were intercepted by Israeli aircraft and air defense systems. 

The name of the operation sends a message to all of Israel's enemies, led by Iran, who should now perform a simple calculation. If the air force attacks the port of Hodeidah in Yemen, at a range of 1,700 km, it can certainly attack targets in Tehran, at a range of 1,500 km.

Now, it remains to be seen what effect the attack in Yemen will achieve - will it restrain the Houthis, or will it lead to an expansion of the attacks, which until now have been stopped not only by the IDF but also by the coalition forces, led by the US. The IDF has raised the level of vigilance and alertness, fearing additional threats in the region, including from Yemen. 

Originally published at JNS.org