Yemen’s Houthi forces said Saturday they launched a barrage of ballistic missiles toward southern Israel, marking their first such attack since the start of the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
In a statement on X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group targeted “sensitive military objectives” in southern Israel. He described the strike as the Houthis’ first operation of its kind since the conflict began and said it was carried out in response to what he called ongoing regional escalation and attacks affecting Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Palestine.
The Israeli military said it detected the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory and intercepted it.
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The exchange underscores growing concerns that the conflict, now in its fifth week, could widen across the region. The Houthis had largely stayed out of the fighting during its first month but warned a day earlier of possible direct military intervention if the United States and Israel expanded operations against Iran or used regional waterways to target Tehran.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported earlier Saturday that launches from Yemen toward southern Israel had been identified for the first time since the war began.
The Houthis previously carried out missile and drone attacks against Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea during the war in Gaza, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians. Those attacks disrupted global shipping routes and contributed to rising energy prices.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that Washington expected military operations to conclude within weeks. The Houthis, however, said they would continue their attacks until what they described as aggression across multiple fronts ends.
The latest developments come amid continued exchanges between Israel and Iran. The United States and Israel have carried out airstrikes on Iran since late February, while Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and other locations in the region, raising fears of a broader regional war.
