TEHRAN – A senior political advisor to Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has lauded the recent Yemeni drone strike deep within Israeli-occupied territories, calling the longstanding threats from the Israeli regime against Iran and Yemen a mere "mirage."

On Friday morning, Yemen’s Armed Forces launched a drone attack near the U.S. consular facility in Tel Aviv. The strike resulted in one fatality and injuries to ten others, while Israeli air defenses failed to intercept the drone.

This operation by Yemen's military was a show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, who have faced relentless bombardment by Israel for the past ten months. Ali Shamkhani, former secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), stated that from the outset of the conflict, Yemen’s strategy was to support the oppressed people of Gaza. 

He emphasized that the Yemeni forces are committed to using all available means to halt the war and defend Palestinians, declaring that the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would remain "unsafe" as long as the conflict persists.

Shamkhani praised Yemen's Ansarullah Resistance movement for their technical prowess and strong resolve. He highlighted the use of the Samad-3 drone in the Tel Aviv attack as a bold and courageous move in defense of Gaza. Shamkhani criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stubborn continuation of the war and the resulting civilian casualties in Gaza. He noted that the Israeli regime's threats against Iran and Yemen over the past 40 years have proven to be empty.

In response to Yemeni attacks, Israeli warplanes targeted civilian facilities in Yemen’s western province of al-Hudaydah on Saturday, killing three and injuring over 80. This retaliation was framed by Israel as a response to the numerous operations carried out by Yemen’s Armed Forces against Israeli interests in support of Gaza.

The Yemeni military announced that on Sunday, they targeted the port city of Eilat in Israel and American and Israeli-owned vessels in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles, following Israel’s recent attacks on Yemen. Yemen has intensified its operations against Israeli targets since October 7, 2023, when Israel began its aggressive campaign against Gaza.

The ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza has led to 38,919 documented Palestinian deaths and 89,622 injuries, predominantly affecting women and children. 

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recently ruled that Israel's military actions in Gaza and its continued occupation of Palestinian territories violate international law. The ICJ has called for an end to Israel’s military operations and its presence in the occupied territories, stating that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over Israel’s air attacks in and around the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, according to a statement sent to journalists.

“The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to avoid attacks that could harm civilians and damage civilian infrastructure,” Guterres said in the statement, while also calling for “utmost restraint” from all parties.