Israel’s military on Tuesday launched airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen that it said fully disabled the international airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, characterized a recent military strike as a direct message to Iran, which he described as the central force—or “head of the Iranian octopus”—behind attacks perpetrated by the Houthi movement against Israel.

Katz asserted that Iran bears primary responsibility for orchestrating these hostilities.

The Houthis, operating from Yemen, have conducted repeated attacks on Israel in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Additionally, they have targeted commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea, enhancing their prominence as the sole remaining active member of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” capable of sustained operations against Israel.

Hans Grundberg, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, condemned the latest strikes on Israel and Yemen’s airport as a “serious escalation” within an already precarious and unstable regional environment.

He called on all parties to exercise restraint to prevent further deterioration of the situation.