Yemen has hit Israel with hypersonic ballistic missile!
Israel should fear not only Hezbollah, but also Ansar Allah now!
Last night this Al Mayadeen article reported about stern warnings issued by Yemeni Defense Minister and Chief of General Staff to the “enemies of the nation and the evil trio of America, Britain, and Israel”, stating that what is coming will be “harsher and more severe than anything they have faced in the past” and that “the coming days hold surprises [the enemy] will not expect" and "could [have] never imagined”.
Guess what? This morning Yemen launched a ballistic missile hitting central Israel, as reported by The Guardian and also by Al Mayadeen in this other article and in its Short News, where Al Mayadeen quoted first Israeli media and IDF spokesperson as saying that air defences were activated near Tel Aviv, that an electricity facility was targeted in south-eastern Tel Aviv and that a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen was detected, crossing the border from the eastern side, but not intercepted. In the end missile “landed in an open area after sirens were activated from Tel Aviv to Modi’in”. Parts of an air defense missile that attempted to stop the missile fell on the Paatei Modi'in railway station.
The Israeli Army Radio was also quoted as saying that the “ballistic missile travelled 2,000 km from Yemen in 15 min” and that the army is investigating why it was not intercepted. Based on the data above, we can estimate an average speed of 8,000 km/h or ~2200 m/s!
Israeli media, cited by Al Mayadeen in its Short News reported that more than two million people fled to shelters this morning!
Al Mayadeen has also reported the following statements by Yemeni sources in its highlights (Short News - see also this article) - all emphasis mine:
Israeli narrative cannot be relied upon concerning any operations by Yemeni Army.
Yemeni Army has promised to execute precise and surprising operations and will deliver on all promises without exception.
It will not be limited to a response, as precise, well-thought out, strategic and continuous operations will follow.
Israeli enemy must not rely on its defense systems from now on.
Yemen had earlier delivered a precise strike using the Yafa drone which reached its target [please refer to this article, where I covered this attack, among other things], and will now use new weapons against a bank of strategic targets.
Yemen has arrived at new technology, some of which were used to target US vessels which failed to intercept missiles.
Yemeni Army studying enemy's defense systems well, just as it had studied defense systems in US vessels in Red Sea.
Enemy cannot predict time and place of coming operations.
Yemen preparing for war with Israeli enemy using multi-faceted tactics, knows war is a long one, and is building its strategic military capabilities on this premise.
Yemen will not suffice itself with one target, and reaffirms to Israeli enemy that Yafa [i.e. Tel Aviv, whose ancient name was Yafa or Jaffa] is not safe, and that it must take its threat seriously.
Here are more recent statements by the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree (from Al Mayadeen Short News - see also this article):
Operation executed with new ballistic hypersonic missile that arrived at its target.
Israeli enemy's air defenses failed to intercept new ballistic missile.
More than 2 million Zionist settlers fled to shelters for first time in Israeli history.
Our brave men have made great efforts in developing missile technology to adapt to battle and arrive at enemy targets.
Our advanced technology is capable of bypassing all land-, sea-based defense systems.
We will remain committed to our religious, moral and humane obligation to support the Palestinian people.
As per the statements above, the ballistic missile is home-grown/homemade in Yemen, though I find it difficult to believe, but I may be wrong. In my opinion, either Iran or Russia could have given ballistic missiles capable of perforating the Israeli air defences. Also, we should keep in mind the recent developments in the Russo-Ukrainian war: although I have not covered it recently, as there are have been lots of reports both on Western mainstream media (MSM) and alternative media (e.g. Strategic Culture, Larry Johnson’s and Gilbert Doctorow’s blogs), there have been talks between the Outlaw US Empire and the UK about allowing Ukraine to use Western long-range missiles (such as American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow) in Russia proper. The Guardian yesterday reported the following:
I interpret it as follows: although there has been no official and public announcement on the approval of Ukrainian use of US or UK long-range missiles in Russia proper, following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Washington DC, Russia knows that a (positive) decision has been taken and has informed the Kiev regime and its NATO masters (mainly the Outlaw US Empire and UK) through back channels, as well as public (see recent Putin’s statement and Dmitry Medvedev’s post on his Telegram channel). Since US and British officials seem to dismiss Russian warnings (see statements below from Pentagon spokesperson, John Kirby), Putin may have decided to provide Houthis with Russian (or Iranian) ballistic missiles in retaliation to the reckless actions of NATO countries in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
So, the Yemeni missile strike in Israel today may be seen as a stern warning by Russia and Axis of Resistance to the Outlaw US Empire. After all, Putin in the past had warned about asymmetric response to the supply of Western long-range missiles to Ukraine - from this AP News article:
President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.
My hypothesis may seem a long shot (pun intended!), but who knows…?
UPDATE (15/09/2024 - 19:40 EEST): This afternoon Al Mayadeen has reported its Short News the following statements on the Yemeni strike against Israel:
Hamas:
We laud the missile strike executed by the Yemeni Armed Forces and the brother in Ansar Allah in the heart of the regime.
Yemeni missile strike a natural response against regime's aggression on our people, the brotherly country of Yemen, and the Arab region.
The support shown by the Resistance fronts in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq is an unalienable right of our nation and its peoples.
Enemy will not know security unless its barbaric aggression against the Gaza Strip comes to an end.
The actions of the Resistance Fronts in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq confirms the unity of our nation and its shared destiny.
We renew our call on free peoples and powers to support our people and its Resistance until the end of the aggression and genocide in Gaza.
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas military branch):
We laud the operation executed by the Yemeni Armed Forces this morning, which struck a military target close to Tel Aviv.
We value the stance taken by the dear Yemeni people in support of their brothers in Palestine, and its readiness to sacrifice for that stance.
The weapon used in the operation, as well as the target itself, besides other details, are a game-changing step that will have important ramifications on the course of the battle.
Zionist entity is still stuck in the mud of Gaza, and today it and its allies have failed to prevent the launch of or intercept a single missile.
This entity is too weak to expand the war on new fronts, through which it is set to receive thousands of rockets and many surprises.
Such a foolish move will mean that Netanyahu is driving his decrepit entity toward certain disaster.
Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Ansar Allah (see also this article):
Today's operation carried out by the Yemeni missile force with a new advanced Yemeni missile is part of the fifth phase of escalation.
What is coming is far greater, God willing.
Our operations will continue as long as the aggression and siege on Gaza continue.
Today’s operation was carried out with a high-tech missile that bypassed the enemy’s systems and reached a distance estimated at 2,040 km.
Our forces continue their battle at sea, conducting operations that are successful and highly effective.
On the other side, it is also worth reporting the following snippet from The Guardian:
We will see how things develop. I expect Israel will respond soon with airstrikes against Yemen.
UPDATE (16/09/2024 - 18:40 EEST): In an interview with Al Mayadeen, the Yemeni Minister of Information, Hashem Sharaf al-Din, has released the following statements:
Additional top-tier weapons will be deployed [by the Yemeni Armed Forces] when their time comes.
Yemen succeeded in advancing its military capabilities across multiple sectors, with its missiles now successfully striking moving naval targets.
Israel should not underestimate Ansar Allah!
UPDATE (16/09/2024 - 21:20 EEST): Al Mayadeen has reported that earlier tonight the Yemeni Military Media unit released footage of the launch of the ballistic hypersonic missile that yesterday morning targeted a military site in Tel Aviv:
The missile, called “Palestine 2”, has the following specifications (all emphasis mine):
Hypersonic missile;
Range: 2,150 km;
Operates with solid fuel in two stages; a two-stage solid fuel missile;
Features stealth technology;
Travels at a speed of Mach 16, meaning that it travels 16 times faster than the speed of sound;
Enjoys high maneuverability capable of bypassing the latest and most powerful air defense systems in the world, including the Iron Dome.
Hi Ismaele - I watch all this closely and have a wonderful friend on social media from Yemen - very highly educated and polite and courteous and friendly that says Yemen can produce these missiles themselves. I think Yemen produced this, but as your article states, war is long, so Russia will have to help Yemen produce more of these. Its hilarious because those Reaper drones keep falling out of the sky over Yemen and so Yemen now has that technology as well. Anything that they get the blueprints for, they can produce according to my Yemeni friend. Also - isn't Jaffa what that city was called when the land was all Palestine ? Only 75 years ago.
It's time for Israel to leave Palestine alone. That's what Yemen's attack is all about.