Written by Layla Hassan, Middle East & North Africa Correspondent
SANA’A/CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi militants launched missile strikes toward Israel on Saturday, their first direct military action in support of Iran’s confrontation with the United States, according to a statement from the Houthi military command read on Al Masirah television. The group also threatened to target commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising fresh alarm among global shipping insurers and oil markets.
The Houthi statement said the strikes targeted “sensitive Israeli military sites.” The IDF said some missiles were intercepted over the Mediterranean; no Israeli casualties were reported. Analysts at the Middle East Institute said the launch footage appeared genuine.
The real threat is at sea. The Houthis previously targeted commercial shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait during the Gaza war, disrupting global trade routes and driving up insurance premiums. Lloyd’s of London has issued a high-risk advisory for all vessels bound for Red Sea ports.
Saudi Arabia called on the Houthis to “exercise maximum restraint” and warned that any threat to Red Sea shipping would destabilize the global economy. The kingdom earns roughly 60% of its government revenue from oil sales that transit the Red Sea route.
The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet said it was “monitoring the situation closely.” A Pentagon spokesperson said the US would treat any attack on commercial shipping as an act of war.