The Yemen Houthi rebels, long backed by Iran, will provide military support in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
On the 28th (local time), The Associated Press, citing two senior Houthi officials who requested anonymity, reported, "We have decided to resume missile and drone attacks on shipping lanes and Israel to support Iran." One official said the Houthis' first strike could occur "tonight."
According to RIA Novosti, the Houthi rebels said in a statement on Telegram, "We condemn the U.S.-Israeli invasion aimed at breaking the balance of deterrence," and noted, "Ties with Iran and Iran's leadership, government and people are complete and unwavering."
The pro-Iran Houthi rebels began in Oct. 2023, when the Israel-Hamas war broke out, to support Hamas by indiscriminately attacking commercial ships transiting the Red Sea more than 500 times to date, and also attacked U.S. warships that patrol and monitor the Red Sea area.
However, the Houthi rebels reached an agreement with the U.S. administration of Donald Trump in May last year to halt attacks on Red Sea maritime routes, and when Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas agreed to a truce in Oct. of the same year, they also stopped attacks on Israel.