Yemen Strikes Ben Gurion Airport With Hypersonic Missile, Breaking Through Israel’s Iron Dome
Executive Summary
In a major escalation, Yemen’s armed forces launched a hypersonic ballistic missile that successfully struck Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on May 4, 2025. The attack, part of what Yemen calls a campaign to impose an air blockade on Israel in solidarity with Gaza, reportedly bypassed multiple Israeli and American defense systems. Hezbollah and Palestinian factions hailed the strike as a turning point that shattered Israel’s air superiority and deepened the regional front against the Zionist state.
Analysis
In a televised statement, Yemeni military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the successful targeting of Ben Gurion Airport using a hypersonic missile — a first in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The strike, which evaded four layers of the Israeli air defense system, caused significant damage to nearby infrastructure and temporarily shut down all airport activity and public transit in the region. At least seven people were reported injured, and footage published by Israeli outlets confirmed a direct hit.
The Yemeni Armed Forces declared this as the opening salvo of a broader campaign to enforce a “comprehensive air blockade” on Israel, warning international airlines to halt all flights into Israeli airspace. Yemen framed this operation as a response to Israeli aggression in Gaza and as retribution for the bombing of Arab nations like Syria and Lebanon.
Hezbollah issued a statement praising Yemen’s “qualitative operation,” characterizing the successful penetration of Israeli defenses as a severe blow to Zionist and American military prestige. Hezbollah emphasized that Yemen’s steadfast support for Gaza represents a moral example to all Arab nations and an indictment of Western complicity.
Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, praised the strike for disrupting Israel’s narrative of invincibility. Abu Obeida lauded the operation as a direct challenge to the U.S.-backed military dominance of the “Zionist entity.” The Palestinian Resistance Committees went further, claiming the attack had permanently dispelled the “false security illusion” that Israel relies on to sustain public morale.
Notably, this development marks a new phase of regional military alignment. From Lebanon to Yemen, the so-called Axis of Resistance is no longer confined to rhetorical solidarity or indirect engagement but is now conducting synchronized, high-impact military operations that directly threaten Israeli infrastructure.
