Evacuations have begun at the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen this morning, September 16th, 2025, coinciding with warnings issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for an imminent military strike. The IDF had ordered the urgent evacuation of the port and any ships present ahead of planned military action in response to Houthi activities. The evacuations were reported by media sources and closely followed IDF Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee's statement, disseminated via social media around 11:47 AM UTC, urging immediate evacuation due to the danger posed by remaining in the area. The IDF has previously targeted Hodeidah Port in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks against Israel. This development follows significant Houthi losses, with over 32 journalists killed in Israeli strikes last week targeting the group's military public relations headquarters in Sana'a. The Houthis held a funeral procession for these individuals earlier today. Yesterday, the Israeli Air Force conducted a strike in southern Lebanon's Yatter area, targeting a Hezbollah operative involved in the organization's regional rehabilitation efforts. This action was stated by the IDF to be a response to Hezbollah's strategic shift to obscure its financial activities. Earlier this morning, Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior alerted to increased covert fundraising efforts by Hezbollah abroad. Additionally, Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived in Riyadh earlier today for regional security talks.
