Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Claim Missile and Drone Attacks Targeting Israel
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a significant escalation of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed missile and drone attacks targeting Israel on Tuesday. This marks the first time that the Houthi rebels have claimed such attacks, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer into the conflict and raising the risks of a regional conflict erupting.
Earlier this month, the Houthis were suspected of launching an attack on Israel by sending missiles and drones over the crucial shipping lane of the Red Sea. The United States Navy intercepted and shot down the projectiles during that assault.
However, on Tuesday, Israel reported that its own fighter jets and its newly deployed Arrow missile defense system successfully shot down two salvos of incoming fire as they approached the country’s key Red Sea shipping port of Eilat. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for three attacks on Israel in a military statement, without providing further details on the timeframe or whether Tuesday’s salvos represented one or two attacks.
In addition to the attack that saw US forces intercept missiles, there was a mysterious explosion last Thursday near the Egyptian resort town of Taba, close to the Israeli border. Egyptian authorities have not yet explained the blast, which injured six people.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree stated in a televised statement, “Our armed forces launched a large batch of ballistic missiles and a large number of drones at various targets of the Israeli enemy. The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that this operation is the third operation in support of our oppressed brothers in Palestine and confirm that we will continue to carry out more qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops.”
The use of the Arrow missile defense system by Israel marked an incredibly rare reported in-combat use. The defense system is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles with a warhead that can destroy targets while they are in space.
While all aerial threats were intercepted outside Israeli territory, the missile fire triggered air raid sirens in Eilat, causing people to seek shelter. The specific weapons used by the Houthis in the attack were not identified, but the use of the Arrow missile suggests the use of a ballistic missile. The Houthis are known to possess a variant of the Burkan ballistic missile, believed to be capable of reaching over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to strike near Eilat.
The timing of the attacks is significant, as the US aircraft carrier USS Bataan, along with other elements of its strike group, are likely in the Red Sea currently.
The Pentagon’s press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, acknowledged the Houthi fire targeting Israel, indicating that the rebels possess missiles capable of reaching some 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). He added, “This is something we will continue to monitor. We want to prevent a broader regional conflict.”
Saudi Arabia, which has tried to reach a peace deal with the Houthis in recent months after a prolonged war against them, did not respond to questions regarding the attacks. According to Bloomberg, four Saudi soldiers were killed in fighting with the Houthis in the kingdom’s southern Jazan province.
The declaration by the Houthis has further dragged Iran into the conflict. Iran has long sponsored both the Houthis and Hamas, as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia group Hezbollah, which continues to engage in cross-border exchanges of fire with Israel. Iranian-allied militia groups have also targeted US troops in drone attacks in Iraq and Syria since the start of the war.
Although Iran has consistently denied arming the Houthis, there is evidence of weapons transfers to the Yemeni militia, including rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, missiles, and other weaponry, with Iranian assistance, using sea routes. Independent experts, as well as Western nations and United Nations experts, have traced seized components back to Iran. The arms embargo imposed by the UN since 2014 prohibits weapons transfers to the Houthis.
There was at least one attack in the past that the Houthis claimed but was later attributed to Iran. In 2019, cruise missiles and drones penetrated Saudi Arabia and struck its oil industry in Abqaiq, temporarily halving the kingdom’s production and raising global energy prices. While the Houthis initially claimed responsibility for the attack, the US, Saudi Arabia, and analysts blamed Iran. UN experts also stated that it was “unlikely” that the Houthis carried out the assault, although Tehran denied involvement.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations warned that allied militias, such as the Houthis, could expand their operations against Israel. The Iranian mission stated, “The warnings from Iran regarding the initial days of the Gaza civilian casualties highlighted a concern: if these atrocities were not halted, they could incite public outrage and exhaust the patience of the resistance movements.”
The situation continues to be closely monitored, with efforts underway to prevent a further escalation of the conflict and a broader regional war.