Yemen’s Houthi rebels have carried out their first attack on Israel since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, firing multiple ballistic missiles at military targets in the south of the country, according to their own statements. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attacks would continue until the declared objectives are achieved and attacks on allied forces are halted. The Israeli military reported that one missile was intercepted. Sirens sounded overnight in the Beersheba area and near a key Israeli nuclear research center, while Iran and Hezbollah launched additional strikes; no casualties or damage were reported.
The Houthis have controlled Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014 and had previously stayed out of the current war. However, during the Gaza war they attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting one of the world’s most important trade routes, through which goods worth around $1 trillion pass annually. Between November 2023 and January 2025, they targeted more than 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones, sank two vessels and killed four sailors. In 2024, the US administration under President Donald Trump carried out air strikes against the Houthis, which ended after several weeks.
A Houthi representative stated that military operations would be conducted in phases and that closing the Bab al-Mandeb strait was among the options under consideration. This route is crucial for international trade, with around 30 percent of Israel’s imports passing through it. A potential blockade could have significant economic consequences and further disrupt shipping, particularly in combination with other strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal.
Experts describe the Houthis’ entry into the conflict as significant and warn of far-reaching consequences for global shipping. A coordinated blockade of multiple waterways could severely disrupt international trade flows. At the same time, the opening of a new front could increase military pressure on Israel, which is already facing attacks from Iran and Lebanon. Israeli media also reported that nine Israeli soldiers were wounded in two rocket attacks from southern Lebanon
Source: Al Jazeera