SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
Three countries say they've opened investigations into a deadly plane crash in Kazakhstan. Coming up, we ask how those probes could roll out and what investigators can learn. First, Israel launched its largest and most aggressive attack so far against the Iran-supported Houthis in Yemen on Thursday. The Israeli airstrikes hit the rebel-controlled capital's international airport, damaging the runway and control tower. At least six people died and dozens were injured in multiple strikes, according to Yemen's state-run news agency. For more on the escalation of fighting, we go now to NPR international correspondent Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv. Hi, Carrie.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi, Sarah.
MCCAMMON: So catch us up here. Tell us about these attacks on Yemen's capital, Sana'a. What were the targets?
KAHN: Israel says it hit military targets. It sent 25 fighter jets. They traveled more than 1,200 miles to Yemen. They are saying the airport was hit because it is used by Iranians, who back the Houthi rebels, to smuggle weapons into the country, and used by senior Iranian officials to get into Yemen. Israel also targeted major power stations. The head of the World Health Organization was actually in the airport waiting to board a flight at the time of the attack and says he was just meters away from where the strike hit. Right after the attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said such strikes will continue to, quote, "cut off the terror arm of the Iranian axis of evil and continue until we complete the job, which," he added, quote, "we are only just starting."
MCCAMMON: Now, Israel says this attack was in retaliation for missiles being fired from Yemen. When did this all start?
KAHN: It's been going on for months since the war in Gaza began. The Houthis say they won't stop until Israel withdraws from Gaza, where it is fighting Hamas. They also have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea. That's important. It's a large conduit for international commerce. This week, though, we just saw an escalation of missiles fired from Yemen. Air sirens went off just this morning at 3:30 a.m. That missile was intercepted by Israel's air defense system. But one last Saturday actually made it through and landed in Tel Aviv, not far from where I am, injuring dozens. Netanyahu has been threatening to take decisive action against the Houthis for days, and here he is on Wednesday.
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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: (Speaking Hebrew).
KAHN: He says, "here the Houthis too will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and the Assad regime and others have learned" - he listed off the recent military actions he says that have brought down these Iranian-backed groups. He says that the Houthis will also be taken down and, quote, "even if it takes time," he says, "this lesson will be understood across the Middle East," and that's concerning many of an escalation of hostilities here in the region.
MCCAMMON: Well, as Netanyahu alluded to, Israel has been weakening its enemies on multiple fronts, including Hezbollah and Lebanon and Hamas and Gaza, both also supported by Iran. What are you hearing about the Houthis' capabilities, Carrie?
KAHN: Interestingly, I was listening to a former intelligence officer, and he was saying that Israel's behind in its intelligence on the Houthis in Yemen. Yemen just wasn't their main focus for the last 20 years. Iran and Hezbollah were. And Yemen and the Houthis are a different enemy for Israel. Yemen is far away and it will require the assistance of other militaries, primarily the U.S., to fight the Houthis. The U.S. does have a major battle group in the Red Sea at this time, actually. And Israel is fighting wars on multiple fronts now. It's in Gaza, it's in Lebanon, it's in Syria, continuing raids in the occupied territories. It is stretched.
MCCAMMON: That's NPR international correspondent Carrie Kahn. Thanks, Carrie.
KAHN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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