Two ballistic missiles fired at Israel fall short as Yemen’s Houthi terrorists try to retaliate for killing of PM

Two ballistic missiles fired at Israel by Yemeni Houthi terrorists broke apart over Saudi Arabian territory on Tuesday morning, Israeli media reported.

The Houthis have declared ever-escalating threats against Israel amid their attempts to retaliate for the Israeli strikes that killed the terrorists’ prime minister and several other high-ranking officials.

Against the backdrop of their funeral on Monday, the Houthis released a statement attributed to Chief of Staff Abdul-Karim al-Ghamari, who was reportedly wounded in the strike and whose fate remains unclear.

“The Zionist enemy should know that with this heinous crime, it has opened the gates of hell upon itself,” he was quoted as saying.

“Our armed forces’ response will be harsh and painful, with effective and impactful strategic choices. We promise our leadership and our people that we will continue to develop our strategic military capabilities in both quantity and quality. Soon, you will hear and see what will please your eyes and heal your hearts. The tables will be turned on the aggressor,“ the statement read.

However, both missiles launched by the Houthis on Tuesday either fell short or broke apart over the territory of Saudi Arabia, as have many of the missiles launched at Israel.

Later Tuesday, the IDF announced it had shot down a Houthi drone off the Mediterranean coast "prior to [its] crossing into Israeli territory."

On Monday, the Houthis had earlier launched another drone that was shot down by Israeli air defenses.

“An unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Yemen was intercepted before it entered Israeli territory. No alerts were activated, in accordance with policy,” the IDF stated.

UKMTO WARNING 029-25-ATTACK
31 AUG 2025 1730UTChttps://t.co/vMiU6Vsj8c#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/bFgNpOJqSS

— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 31, 2025

In another attempt at retaliation, military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed that the Houthis had struck an alleged Israeli oil tanker named 'Scarlet Ray' with a ballistic missile in the northern Red Sea, off the Saudi coast.

However, the ship’s Singapore-based manager, Eastern Pacific Shipping, said the tanker was undamaged and had not been boarded nor taken over. The company is owned by Israeli magnate Idan Ofer.

The ship reported “a splash in close proximity from an unknown projectile and heard a loud bang,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

Dhaif Allah al-Shami, a member of the political bureau of the Houthis threatened further surprises for the enemy that it “will not be able to anticipate.”

“Just as the missile with a cluster warhead surprised Israel, there will be more and more surprises – new tactics and an innovative, advanced strategy in all fields,” he said, referring to the cluster warhead-tipped missile that exploded over Israel two weeks ago.

Despite the so-far failed attempts to respond to the killing of the Houthi officials, Israeli media reported that security for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz has been increased out of caution.

Military sources close to the Houthis told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that the terrorists are preparing “high-quality and painful” retaliatory moves, threatening that Israel’s “government offices of the occupation will not be far from the fire of our armed forces.”

The sources noted that the Houthis’ “target bank may expand, and that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s offices might not be safe.”

Meanwhile, the group that is widely recognized as a terror group, and which violently took control of large parts of Yemen as part of an ongoing civil war, reportedly turned to the United Nations to protest the Israeli strikes.

The Houthi-affiliated Yemeni channel Al-Masirah said the Houthis’ foreign ministry appealed to the UN to “compel Israel to comply with international law.”

“Israel attacked the Prime Minister of the ‘Government of Change and Reconstruction’ [the Houthis’ name for its regime] and other ministers,” the statement read. “The silence of the international community has encouraged this dangerous escalation, which threatens security and stability.”

The letter was said to have been addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Security Council, the European Union, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Envoy to Yemen.

The terror group also argued that “Yemen’s position in support of Gaza is consistent with international law and comes after the international community failed to stop the genocide in Gaza. Yemen’s stance will remain firm until the aggression ends and the blockade is lifted. Our government will continue to fulfil its role and serve the Yemeni people.”

The letter came shortly after the Houthis raided local UN bureaus and arrested at least 11 staff members in the capital Sana’a and in Hodeidah, according to Hans Grundberg, the UN envoy to the country.

He condemned the “new wave of arbitrary arrests of UN personnel,” as well as “the break-ins and seizure of UN property.”

In addition, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) also reported entries “by local security forces” on Sunday morning, with staff members of both agencies being arrested as well.

Guterres condemned the Houthis’ actions, calling for “the immediate and unconditional release” of those detained.

“The personnel of the UN and its partners must never be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their duties for the UN,” he said. “The United Nations will continue to work tirelessly to secure the safe and immediate release of all arbitrarily detained individuals.”

Meanwhile, the Yemeni website Defense Line, which is not affiliated with the Houthis, reported that the terrorists continue to impose a media blackout regarding reports of the fate of several officials targeted by the Israeli strikes.

These include Houthi Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi, Chief of Staff Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, and Jalal al-Rowaishan, Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs.