Houthis Join Iran War: Yemeni Rebels Attack Israel, Impose Ban On Israeli Ships In Red Sea

Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday said they had launched a missile attack on Israel and imposed a “total ban” on Israeli vessels passing through the Red Sea.

The announcement came as Iran and Israel exchanged strikes on Monday for the first time since a fragile ceasefire paused weeks of fighting in April, raising fears that the escalation could trigger a new full-scale conflict.

Red Sea Threat

The Houthis have previously harassed cargo ships in the Red Sea during the Israel-Hamas war, forcing many companies to take lengthy detours around southern Africa. Their latest threat comes amid continued tensions at the Strait of Hormuz, the main gateway to Gulf energy exports, which remains effectively blockaded by Iran.

“We declare a complete and total ban

on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea,” said a statement from the Houthis’ armed forces. “All enemy movements are considered legitimate military targets from the moment this statement is issued.”

The Red Sea is a key global trade route, carrying a significant share of oil and container traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Any disruption could have wide-reaching economic consequences, including shipping delays and higher freight costs.

The Houthis, who joined the Middle East war in support of Iran in March, had not announced a missile attack on Israel since the ceasefire began on April 8. In Monday’s statement, they said they had “launched a missile barrage targeting sensitive Israeli enemy targets” and claimed the strikes “achieved their objectives with precision.”

The Israeli military earlier confirmed on Telegram that it “has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory” and that aerial defence systems were operating to intercept the threat.

The attack comes as Israel and Iran continue to trade strikes, putting the fragile ceasefire under renewed strain and threatening prospects for a peace agreement. The Houthis, along with Lebanon-based Hezbollah, form part of the “Axis of Resistance,” a pro-Iran grouping opposed to Israel and the United States.

The rebels, from Yemen’s northern highlands, have controlled large parts of the country since seizing the capital in September 2014. A Saudi-led international military intervention from March 2015 triggered a brutal civil war that has left hundreds of thousands dead from direct and indirect causes.

(With inputs from AFP)