Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the month-old war in the Middle East on Saturday, claiming two missile launches at Israel and opening a dangerous new front that could further disrupt global shipping through the Red Sea.
Houthi Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced on the rebel group’s Al-Masirah satellite television station that missiles were launched toward “sensitive Israeli military sites” in southern Israel. The Israeli military confirmed it intercepted a missile over Tel Aviv, with air raid sirens sounding across central Israel. The Houthis also claimed to have targeted Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv with a hypersonic ballistic missile, a claim Israel disputed.
The entry of the Houthis into the conflict marks a significant escalation in a war that has already killed more than 3,000 people and threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas. About 2,500 US Marines arrived in the region aboard three naval vessels, while at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have been ordered to the Middle East.
Analysts warn the Houthis’ involvement could devastate Red Sea shipping if the rebels resume attacks on commercial vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which roughly 12 percent of the world’s trade normally passes. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis attacked more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two ships.
The Houthis had largely held back from the current war until now, partly due to a fragile ceasefire with Saudi Arabia and the risk of reigniting full-scale conflict in Yemen. Their entry into the fighting opens a new theater far from the main conflict zones between the US-Israel coalition and Iran.
In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have been killed. Twenty people have been killed in Gulf states and four in the occupied West Bank, according to reports from the region.
The development comes as Pakistan announced that regional powers plan to meet Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting, which has shaken global markets, sparked fertilizer shortages, and disrupted air travel since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28.
Iran’s grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains a central issue, though Iran on Friday agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the waterway following a United Nations request. Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal, Deutsche Welle, HuffPost
discussion