Yemen's Houthis launch first missile strike on Israel since Iran war began

In a video statement, military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had launched ballistic missiles at Israeli military sites. “[We] have carried out the first military operation using a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli military sites in southern occupied Palestine,” Saree said. Israel’s military said it had identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat. There were no reports of any casualties or damage in Israel. Earlier this week, the Houthis threatened to join the conflict if their ally Iran continued to be attacked and if other countries joined the US-Israeli war. It also warned against the Red Sea being used for “hostile operations”. Saree said on Saturday that the Houthis' strikes were in support of Iran and “the resistance fronts in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine”. He said operations would continue “until the aggression against all fronts of the resistance ceases”. Days after Israel’s genocide in Gaza began in October 2023, the Houthis joined the war by attacking international shipping in the Red Sea, describing it as an act of solidarity with Palestinians. Over the course of 18 months, the Houthis carried out attacks on over 250 military and commercial ships. They also launched intermittent long-range missile attacks on Israel. The Red Sea attacks caused major disruption to global trade, with vessels travelling from Europe to Asia avoiding the traditional Suez Canal route through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Instead, they opted for the lengthier and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. As a result, maritime traffic in the Gulf of Aden dropped 70 percent in two years. With Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the war - through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes - the Red Sea has become increasingly important. Saudi Arabia has diverted a large proportion of its oil exports to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0