The Israeli Navy carried out a guided strike deep within Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, targeting the Haziz power plant, a key energy facility vital to the Houthi regime. The action reflects Israel’s continued response to what it calls repeated missile and drone attacks carried out by the Iran-aligned Houthis against Israeli soil.
The Strike and Its Immediate Consequences
People in Sanaa claimed to have heard at least two strong explosions close to the southern Haziz neighborhood, where the power plant is situated. Yemeni sources verified that the strike had harmed and rendered useless several generators at the power plant, leading to temporary power blackouts in some areas of the city. Firefighting units from within the country responded quickly to put out resulting fires.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) formally assumed responsibility, declaring the strike was carried out by naval forces at a distance of about 2,000 kilometers. The military described the target as a terrorist infrastructure facility utilised by the Houthis, blaming the Iran-aligned group for using sea lanes to extend its influence and project force to Israel and global commerce.
🎯STRUCK: A Houthi terrorist infrastructure site, 2,000 km away in Sanaa, Yemen.
The strike was in response to repeated Houthi missile & UAV attacks on Israel. Directed & funded by Iran, the Houthis exploit the seas to threaten Israel & global trade. pic.twitter.com/5T0eI35Qns
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 17, 2025
Strategic Context
The attack is part of an ongoing Israeli effort against Houthi positions in Yemen to neutralise what Israel views as a growing threat on its southern border. The Houthis, outraged at Israel’s aggression in Gaza, have increased attacks against Israeli soil, including the firing of surface-to-surface missiles and drones. The majority of these assaults have been said to have been intercepted, but the continued threat has led Israel to intervene militarily emphatically beyond its immediate borders.
This action comes in the wake of a prior airstrike by the Israeli Air Force some weeks back against Houthi infrastructure at the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The campaign focuses on military installations, fuel depots, and ships used to support Houthi military action and their threat projection against Israel and international maritime trade.
Regional and Global Reactions
The Houthis militantly condemned the strike, deeming it an act of aggression against civilian infrastructure, thereby affecting Yemen’s electricity and water supplies. Houthi officials blamed Israel for targeting critical civilian services on purpose, aggravating the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
In the meantime, the Israeli military described the operation as a response to persistent provocations. The IDF highlighted its duty to protect Israeli citizens and international trade routes, stressing that it will act whenever and wherever necessary to eliminate threats.
The attack also follows wider geopolitical tensions surrounding Iranian regional influence, the Yemeni civil war, and heightened conflict dynamics associated with the Gaza crisis.
Conclusion
Israel’s nighttime naval attack on the Haziz power station in Sanaa is a risky but deliberate action mirroring the interlinked state of regional conflicts. By attacking a key energy infrastructure employed by the Houthis, Israel is seeking to undermine the capabilities of the group and issue a strong warning regarding the implications of continued attacks against Israeli territory. As the crisis continues to intensify, the strike emphasises the tenuous security situation in the Middle East as well as the extensive consequences of proxy wars involving non-state and state actors.
