On the 28th (local time), marking a month since the war sparked by U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels fired missiles toward Israel, formally entering the conflict.
With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major crude oil route, dragging on, and even freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, the "global logistics artery," coming under threat, concerns are growing that the negative impact on the world economy will intensify.
The Israeli military said that on this morning it confirmed a missile was launched from Yemen toward Israeli territory and that it activated its air defense system and attempted an interception. It is the first military action toward Israel from Yemen since on the 28th of last month the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes on Iran, starting the Iran war.
Houthi Spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement that they "carried out a first military operation, including a missile attack, targeting major military objectives of the Israeli enemy," Al Masirah, a Houthi outlet, reported.
Spokesperson Saree said, "This is to implement the previous announcement to support the resistance front in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine," adding, "Our operations will continue until the objectives are achieved, until attacks on the resistance front stop."
Spokesperson Saree said, "This operation coincided in timing with the heroic operations carried out by our Mujahideen (Islamic holy warriors) brothers in Iran and by Hezbollah in Lebanon," suggesting the missile launch was coordinated with Iran's military and Lebanon's armed faction Hezbollah.
On the 26th, Houthi rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said, "As the people of Yemen, we repay loyalty with loyalty," and noted, "If a situation arises that requires a military response, we will respond immediately, as we did in the previous clashes," signaling an intervention.
The Houthi rebels are a key force in the so-called "axis of resistance" led by Iran. After the outbreak of the current Iran war, the axis of resistance—including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iraq's Shia militias—joined on Iran's side, but the Houthi rebels had not engaged militarily until now.