After four weeks of Iran war Houthis fire first missile at Israel

The Yemen-based Houthis, a terror proxy of the Iranian regime, launched its first ballistic missile at southern Israel on Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces announced.

There are no reports of injuries or direct impacts.

The missile marks the first time that the Houthis have intervened militarily in the war since Israel and the United States launched a military offensive against the Islamic Republic of Iran on Feb. 28.

A senior Houthis official, Omar Ma’rabouni, confirmed the missile attack, describing it as a response to the ongoing U.S. and Israeli military operations against the Iranian regime. Ma’rabouni argued that the entry of the Houthis into the war will “complicate the scene for the Americans and Israelis, which is already complex.” This appears to refer to Yemen’s geographic distance from the primary conflict zone.

Ma’rabouni said the Houthis maintain influence over crucial maritime routes, including “the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.”

Arab News reported that “the group has shown an ability to strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, as they did in support of Hamas in Gaza after October 7, 2023.”

The news outlet Al-Masirah reported that the Houthis arranged a “million-strong march” in the capital Sanaa under the slogan “steadfast with Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran... ready for all options.” The Houthis organizers called the event a “National Day of Resilience.”

The Iranian regime’s largest proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon, already joined the war in early March when it launched an attack against northern Israel. The Israeli military has responded with massive attacks on Hezbollah command and control centers and on forces across southern Lebanon. At least four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The IDF assessed that hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated during the war this month, including senior commanders and members of the group’s elite Radwan force.

In early February, the Houthis warned that they would attack U.S. vessels if Washington launched a military strike on Iran.

Like Hezbollah, the Houthis may be seeking to support their ally in Tehran as it confronts pressure from the United States and Israel.

Houthis' leadership has indicated it intends to prevent Israeli vessels from passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

“We have developed a plan to prevent the passage of Israeli ships through the Bab al-Mandab Strait," an unnamed senior Houthi advisor said, according to Al-Araby TV.

A Houthi supporter argued that the missile attacks on Israel would complete a “ring of fire” against "US-Israeli operations." However, both the Houthis and Hezbollah are severely degraded after over two years of war. The Houthis’ entry into the conflict may be more symbolic than strategic and observers believe it is unlikely to affect ongoing U.S. and Israeli military operations in Iran.