Yemen’s Houthis Launch First Missile Attack on Israel Since Iran Conflict Began

Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen fired missiles at Israel Saturday, marking their first assault since the Iran war started five weeks ago. The attack raises concerns about the expanding Middle East conflict that has already disrupted global energy supplies and killed thousands.

Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen fired missiles toward Israel on Saturday, marking their first assault since the Iran conflict began five weeks ago, escalating fears that the regional war could spread even further across the Middle East.

Prior to the missile launch, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the United States anticipated wrapping up military operations within weeks. However, the Houthis declared they would persist with their operations until what they called the “aggression” on all fronts ceased.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held discussions with Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, whose administration is hosting a Sunday meeting with Turkish and Saudi foreign ministers aimed at reducing regional tensions.

Despite diplomatic efforts, no immediate breakthrough appeared likely in a conflict that has engulfed much of the Middle East, claiming thousands of lives and causing unprecedented disruption to worldwide energy supplies.

Israeli forces reported conducting strikes against more than 100 Iranian targets since Friday, targeting ballistic missile manufacturing and storage sites along with government infrastructure in Tehran.

Iranian state media confirmed casualties from the Israeli strikes, reporting nine deaths in the western city of Borujerd and five fatalities in northwestern Zanjan, describing both incidents as attacks on residential neighborhoods.

Israel also announced hitting over 170 targets in Lebanon, where fighting has resumed against Iran-backed Hezbollah forces. Lebanon’s Al Manar TV reported that three Lebanese journalists died when their media vehicle was struck, and a Lebanese soldier was also killed.

Iran continued its attacks on Israel and several Gulf nations after striking a Saudi Arabian air base Friday, injuring 12 U.S. military personnel, with two seriously wounded, in one of the most significant breaches of American air defenses to date.

Drone strikes damaged radar systems at Kuwait’s International Airport, while fires erupted near the Khalifa container port in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, after a missile was intercepted. In Israel, seven people required hospitalization when an Iranian missile struck the village of Eshtaol, close to Jerusalem.

Israel, which had regularly faced Houthi missile attacks before the war began, confirmed a missile was launched from Yemen. No casualties or damage were reported from this latest strike.

The Houthi involvement signals a potential new danger to global shipping, already severely impacted by the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles approximately one-fifth of worldwide oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

The Houthis have demonstrated their capability to hit targets well beyond Yemen’s borders and disrupt shipping routes around the Arabian Peninsula and Red Sea, as they previously did while supporting Hamas during the Gaza conflict.

Should the Houthis establish a new battlefront, they could target the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen’s coast, a critical passage for maritime traffic heading toward the Suez Canal.

With November midterm elections approaching, the increasingly unpopular conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has become a political burden for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party. Trump appears anxious to conclude the war quickly while simultaneously threatening escalation.

Protesters gathered in cities across America on Saturday for the third wave of “No Kings” demonstrations, which organizers characterized as a call to action against the war.

Rubio stated Friday that military operations were expected to conclude in “weeks, not months” and repeated Trump’s appeals for European and Asian nations to help ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

American allies have shown reluctance to become involved in a war that could intensify if Trump chooses to deploy ground forces to reopen the strait.

While Rubio said the U.S. could accomplish its objectives without ground troops, he acknowledged deploying some forces to the region “to give the president maximum optionality and maximum opportunity to adjust the contingencies, should they emerge.”

Washington has sent two groups of thousands of Marines to the region, with the first arriving Friday aboard a massive amphibious assault vessel, according to a U.S. military social media post Saturday. The Pentagon also plans to deploy thousands of elite airborne troops.

Financial markets have responded with concern over signs the war may continue longer than expected.

Brent crude oil prices have surged more than 50% since the conflict began, and in the United States, where Trump faces political vulnerability from rising fuel costs, California diesel reached a record average high, according to the American Automobile Association.

Trump has threatened to strike Iranian power plants and other energy infrastructure if Iran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, he has extended his original deadline for this week, giving Iran an additional 10 days to respond.

Israeli forces have targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, prompting the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom to warn that the attacks threaten nuclear safety. Rosatom has evacuated personnel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast.

Pezeshkian warned that Iran would “retaliate strongly if our infrastructure or economic centers are targeted.”

“To the countries of the region: If you want development and security, don’t let our enemies run the war from your lands,” he stated.

Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey have served as intermediaries between the opposing sides, though Tehran has denied engaging in negotiations with Washington. Two sources familiar with the behind-the-scenes efforts expressed skepticism that direct talks would occur soon.