SANA'A, YEMEN, 28 March. - (ANA) - Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have entered the US-Israeli war on Iran, launching what their first military operation against Israeli targets since the conflict began on 28 February.

 

The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, announced on Saturday that they had fired a volley of ballistic missiles towards southern Israel, marking a significant escalation in the regional conflict now entering its second month.

 

In a video statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attack was carried out "in implementation of what was stated in the previous statement by the Yemeni Armed Forces regarding direct military intervention in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the resistance fronts in Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine".

 

The Houthis control the Yemeni capital Sana'a and most of northern Yemen.

 

Saree added that the group had "carried out the first military operation, using a volley of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive military targets of the Israeli enemy in southern occupied Palestine", claiming that "the operation achieved its objectives successfully".

 

 

The Israeli military confirmed it had detected a missile launch from Yemen earlier in the day, stating that "air defence systems are working to intercept the threat".

 

Israeli authorities later said the missile was intercepted before reaching the southern city of Eilat, and that warning sirens were not activated.

 

The strike followed hours after the Houthis had publicly threatened to join the war.

 

In an earlier statement, the group said its "finger is on the trigger", warning that it would intervene directly under specific conditions tied to developments on the battlefield.

 

Those conditions included "the entry of any additional alliances alongside the US and Israel against Iran and the axis of resistance", "the use of the Red Sea to carry out hostile operations by the US and Israel against Iran or any Muslim country", and "the continuation of escalation against Iran and the axis of resistance, as required by the military theatre".

 

Saree also called for an immediate halt to the US-Israeli war on Iran, urging "a response to international and diplomatic efforts to stop the attacks on Iran and the countries of the axis", which he described as "unjustified aggression that harms regional and international stability and security, and threatens the safety of the global economy".

 

The Houthis’ entry into the conflict comes alongside continued retaliatory attacks by other Iran-aligned groups. 

 

Israeli media suggested that Tehran may have been holding the Houthis in reserve for what it sees as a decisive phase of the war, when the conflict is believed to be nearing its end.

 

However, it remains unclear whether the timing of the Houthis’ intervention indicates that Iran believes the war is approaching such a phase, particularly amid ongoing negotiations with the US and concerns in Israel that President Donald Trump could declare a ceasefire.

 

The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to join the war since its outbreak but had refrained from direct involvement until now. Their entry means that all of Iran’s major regional allies, including Hezbollah and Iraqi militia, are now actively engaged.

 

Despite receiving weapons and support from Tehran, the Houthis are often viewed as more independent in their decision-making than other groups within Iran's so-called "axis of resistance". Nonetheless, Iran is believed to retain significant influence over their strategic direction.

 

The group has also sought to frame its intervention carefully, insisting its operations are limited in scope. Saree said the attacks are directed solely at "the Israeli and American enemy to thwart the Zionist project" and "do not target any Muslim people".   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/28 March 2026 - - -