Houthis Join the War
The attack followed a Houthi warning that they would intervene if the Red Sea were used for operations against Iran or if more countries joined the U.S.-Israeli side.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said Saturday they launched a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting southern Israel, marking the group’s first direct strike on the country since the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran began last month. The Israel Defense Forces said its air-defense systems intercepted the incoming projectile, and there were no reports of injuries or damage. Sirens sounded in the southern city of Beersheba and surrounding areas.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, claimed responsibility in a televised statement broadcast on the group’s Al-Masirah satellite television network. He described the target as “sensitive Israeli military sites” in southern Israel and said the operation was carried out in support of Iran and what the group calls the “axis of resistance.”
“Strikes will continue until the declared objectives are achieved… and until the aggression against all fronts of the resistance ceases,” Saree said.
The attack comes a day after Saree warned that the Houthis’ “fingers are on the trigger” for direct intervention if the U.S. or Israel used the Red Sea for operations against Iran or if additional countries joined the conflict on the U.S.-Israeli side. timesofisrael.com
The strike opens a new front in a conflict that has already drawn in Iranian proxies across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli officials had assessed that the Houthis were unlikely to enter the fighting unless a cease-fire was imminent, but Saturday’s action signals a broadening of the battlefield, analysts said. modernghana.com
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have a history of firing missiles and drones at Israel and disrupting Red Sea shipping. Their previous campaigns during the Israel-Hamas war in 2023-2024 forced major shipping companies to reroute vessels, raising global freight costs.
No immediate Israeli response to Yemen was reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on the incident Saturday.
Oil prices rose modestly in early trading on concerns that further escalation could threaten shipping lanes or draw in additional Iranian allies. U.S. officials monitoring the situation have not issued a public statement on the Houthi claim.