YEMEN’S Houthi rebels launched a missile at Israel overnight, marking their entry into the Middle East conflict.
Israel confirmed it had intercepted a projectile fired from Yemen, but the move raises concerns of a broader regional conflict.
Houthi supporters were demonstrating in solidarity with Iran and LebanonCredit: Getty
A fireball in the sky after an Iranian missile strike on Tel Aviv, IsraelCredit: AFP
A dozen US troops were wounded in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi ArabiaCredit: Reuters
Houthi military mouthpiece Yahya Saree issued a statement on Saturday claiming responsibility for the attack.
Strikes continued across the region overnight, including in Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Bahrain.
Meanwhile two dozen US troops have been wounded in Iranian strikes on an air base in Saudi Arabia over the past week.
This includes 12 soldiers injured, two seriously, after an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base on Friday, according to US and Arab officials.
The US expects the war to end in weeks, according to secretary of state Marco Rubio.
But Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, has warned a “new escalation” in the Middle East is possible in the “coming days”.
The Houthis – who control much of Yemen – warned on Friday they had their “fingers on the trigger” and were ready for “direct military intervention” if any new alliances joined the US and Israel in the conflict.
Their involvement in the war now raises fears that rebels in camps along the coast could begin firing at trade vessels.
Tehran has already on a second major trade route leading to the Suez Canal in a bid to deepen the ongoing economic crisis.
Saree declared on Friday that the insurgents will hit and if they use the Red Sea to carry out “hostile operations” against Iran.
He also called for an immediate end to the blitzing of Iran, warning against any further tightening of what he described as “the blockade on Yemen”.
The group has now said it will remain in the conflict until all its goals are met.
Houthi supporters staged a massive rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon on the streets of Sana’a – Yemen’s capital – on Friday.
Hundreds of rifles were held aloft in front of billboards displaying the fallen Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
During the war in Gaza, the Houthis wreaked havoc on international shipping in the Red Sea.
Last July, the world witnessed the group .
Rebels also sank the bulk carrier Magic Seas in .
The dramatic attacks led to sea traffic dropping, while insurance costs rocketed in one of the world’s major shipping lanes.
It comes as Iran maintains its iron grip on the Strait of Hormuz, paralysing the vital 24-mile trade route with .
And now Iran’s mullahs have promised to turn up the heat by shutting off the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical chokepoint to trade between and Asia.
The strait serves over a tenth of global seaborne trade and – given that 20 per cent of the world’s supply has already been cut off via the Strait of Hormuz – could spell disaster for international commerce.
A blockade would effectively mean that nearly half of all maritime trade would be at the whim of the IRGC.
Tehran also warned that more than one million Iranian soldiers are primed for action after US President Donald Trump floated the idea of a full-scale land invasion.
The US President is said to be increasingly convinced that is the most effective way to pressure Iran into accepting ‘s 15-point peace plan.
The Pentagon is now considering sending 10,000 more troops, according to The Wall Street Journal .
Houthi police trooper mans a machine gun at the site of a rally in solidarity with IranCredit: Reuters
President Donald Trump has hinted at a full scale ground invasion of IranCredit: AP Who are the Houthis?
The Houthis, a Shia militant group, now controls large swaths of Yemen.
After the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage – turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Their warped battle cry is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”.
After the October 7 massacre, Houthis began launching relentless drone and missile attacks on any ships – including warships – they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally, Hamas.
In reality, they targeted with little or no link to Israel – forcing global sea traffic to largely halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices around the world soaring.
The sea assaults added to the carnage in the Middle East tinderbox as intense ripples from Israel’s war in Gaza were felt across the region – with Iran accused of stoking the chaos.
The group’s chiefs have previously said their main targets are Israel, and its allies the US and Britain.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint US and UK strikes blitzing their strongholds in Yemen – Iran’s terror proxy appears undeterred.
The UK and US hit Houthi bases after the terror group targeted boats in the shipping lane.
Israel has also hammered the group with airstrikes, reportedly hitting oil storage tanks at the port in Al Hudaydah.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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