JERUSALEM — Yemen’s Houthi movement fired a volley of ballistic missiles toward southern Israel early Tuesday, testing the region’s air-defense network and raising concerns that the Gaza conflict is rippling deeper into the Middle East, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said at least five projectiles were launched around 2 a.m. local time from Houthi-controlled territory near Sana’a. Four were intercepted by Israel’s Arrow long-range system, while a fifth splashed harmlessly into the Red Sea, an IDF spokesperson told reporters. No injuries or significant damage were reported.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility in a prerecorded statement carried by the group’s Al-Masirah television channel, saying the strikes were “in solidarity with the Palestinian people” and warning that more would follow “until Israeli aggression in Gaza ceases.” The group, formally known as Ansar Allah, is backed by Iran and has repeatedly targeted shipping lanes in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press, said American early-warning satellites detected the launches and relayed targeting data to Israeli batteries. Saudi radar stations also tracked the missiles, the official added, describing it as “a real-time example of nascent regional cooperation against shared threats.”
Analysts note the Houthis possess an arsenal of Iranian-provided Qadr and Zulfiqar ballistic missiles with ranges exceeding 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), putting Israel’s southern port city of Eilat within reach. “Even a single successful strike on Eilat’s oil terminal could disrupt maritime traffic through the Red Sea and Suez Canal,” said Emily Hawthorne, senior Mideast analyst at RANE Network. “That would have immediate implications for global energy flows.”
The Israeli cabinet convened an emergency session but, for now, stopped short of authorizing retaliatory strikes inside Yemen, according to two officials briefed on the meeting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instead ordered the foreign ministry to lodge a complaint at the U.N. Security Council and to continue “close coordination with our partners.”
Iranian officials have denied directing the attack but reiterated support for what they call “the axis of resistance.” Meanwhile, Egypt, which relies on stable traffic through the Suez Canal, urged all parties “to avoid widening the theater of war.”
With Israel still massed on Gaza’s borders, military planners worry that sustained Houthi pressure could force Jerusalem to divert anti-missile batteries southward, diluting protection on other fronts, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. Diplomatic sources say Washington is weighing expanded naval patrols in the Red Sea to deter additional launches.
Whether Tuesday’s barrage proves to be a symbolic gesture or the opening of a southern front may hinge on cease-fire prospects in Gaza. “The longer the Gaza fight drags on, the greater the incentive for Iran’s allies to keep Israel stretched thin,” said Michael Horowitz of Le Beck International. “The next 72 hours will be critical in signaling if this was a one-off or a new phase.”