Examining Yemen’s power in imposing an air blockade on the Zionists.
In a significant military escalation, the Yemenis announced their surprise decision to impose an air blockade on the regime after an effective missile attack on Ben-Gurion Airport in the most secure area of Tel Aviv, while the Israeli regime threatened to carry out painful attacks against Yemen.
This happened after a supersonic missile launched by Yemen successfully passed through the Israeli army’s multi-layered defense formations and landed near Ben-Gurion Airport, closing the airport, which is the only international airport in the Israeli regime, for several hours, and most international airlines announced the suspension of their flights to and from Ben-Gurion Airport.
Yemen’s strengths in imposing the air blockade equation on the Zionists
However, these developments raise several important questions: to what extent can the Yemenis carry out their threat and impose a new reality? Does Yemen have the technological and military capabilities to conduct an air blockade against the Zionist regime and continue its attacks against it, and to what extent are airlines responding to these threats?
In this context, Fabian Heinz, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who has monitored the missile and drone capabilities of the Yemeni armed forces, believes that the Ansarullah movement has succeeded in largely localizing the production of missiles and drones within Yemen.
He said: The Yemenis have a high operational capability to launch ballistic and cruise missiles, and most importantly, the Yemeni armed forces use rugged mountainous areas to store and launch their missiles, which makes it very difficult for the United States and Israel to track these missiles.
The international affairs analyst noted: These same features give Yemen more independence and increase its ability to wage a long-term regional war of attrition, and it also enjoys the support of its allies in the region.
In turn, retired American General Cedric Layton, in an interview with CNN in response to the recent Yemeni missile attack on Ben-Gurion Airport, stated: If the missile fired from Yemen was indeed a hypersonic missile, it represents a significant technological leap in the country’s military power.
The American general emphasized: These equations that the Yemenis have established will change the game in the region, because Israel’s defense systems are not designed for hypersonic missiles, especially this type of Yemeni missile, which seems to reach 16 times the speed of sound and is very maneuverable. If Yemeni military spokesman Yahya Saree is correct in his claim that the missile fired at Ben Gurion Airport was supersonic, major changes will occur in the region; not only in terms of the Yemenis’ offensive capabilities, but also in terms of Israel’s need to change the way its defenses operate.