Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen said they launched missiles toward Israel early Saturday, marking their first attack since the wider Middle East conflict involving Iran began. Israeli officials reported that the incoming missile was intercepted before it could reach its target, according to the Associated Press.
The broader conflict has now been underway for about a month. It began after the United States and Israel carried out military strikes against Iran. Iran responded by launching attacks against Israel and several nearby Gulf Arab nations. Since then, the fighting has disrupted international air travel, slowed oil shipments, and pushed fuel prices significantly higher. Economic concerns have also grown because Iran controls access to the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global energy supplies.
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced Saturday that the group had launched several ballistic missiles aimed at what he described as important Israeli military locations in the southern part of the country. His statement was broadcast on the Houthis’ satellite television channel. The attack followed comments Saree made a day earlier suggesting the group was preparing to enter the conflict.
Air raid sirens sounded across southern Israel, including in the city of Beersheba and near Israel’s main nuclear research complex, as Israel faced continued attacks overnight from Iran and the militant group Hezbollah. Explosions were also heard in Tel Aviv. Israel’s fire and rescue service said crews were dispatched to 11 separate sites in the metropolitan area where impacts were reported.
The new Houthi strikes raise concerns that the group could resume targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea. During the earlier Israel–Hamas war, Houthi attacks on shipping severely disrupted traffic along that route, which normally carries about $1 trillion in goods each year. In addition to missiles, the group also launched drones toward Israel.
The Houthis have controlled Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014. Until now, they had largely stayed out of the current regional conflict, partly due to a fragile ceasefire with Saudi Arabia. Saudi forces entered the Yemen war in 2015 to support the country’s internationally recognized government after the Houthis seized control of large parts of the country.