Yemen’s Houthis claim first strike on Israel amid regional war

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed their first strike on Israel, following weeks of speculation about possible involvement in the US-Israel war on Iran.

The group said in a statement that they “have carried out the first military operation using a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli military sites in southern occupied Palestine.”

For the first time since the start of the regional war, the Houthis had warned on Friday that they could enter the conflict if US-Israeli strikes continue to target Iran or if additional countries become involved.

In a video statement posted on X, spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had launched ballistic missiles at Israeli military sites. The Israeli military said in a statement it had “identified” the launch of a missile from Yemen toward its territory and was working to intercept it.

The group said its operations will continue “until the declared objectives are achieved, as stated in the previous statement by the Armed Forces, and until the aggression against all fronts of the resistance ceases.”

The Axis of Resistance is an informal, Iran-led military and political coalition focused on countering Western and Israeli influence in the region. It includes Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, some components of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Formally known as the Ansarullah Movement, the Iran-backed Houthi group controls large areas of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa and has previously attacked shipping in the Red Sea during regional crises but had not intervened in the current war until now.

Following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas, the Houthis began targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, saying the attacks were in support of Palestinians. They also launched strikes against Israel during the Gaza war.

Israel has frequently struck Houthi targets in Yemen, while the United States intensified its attacks on the group last year. However, US President Donald Trump later ended the offensive after the Houthis agreed to stop targeting US ships in the Red Sea.