Houthis joining Iran in fight against US, Israel? First missile launch from Yemen detected since start of war

Israel's military on Saturday reported the first missile launch from Yemen since the war with Iran began, a day after Tehran-backed Houthis warned that it would join the war if US-Israeli attacks continued against Iran. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) "identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory," news agency AFP reported citing a military statement issued early on Saturday, adding that Israel's air defences were working to intercept it. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and it should be noted that the Houthis are yet to comment on Saturday's missile launch. That said, the missile launch from Yemen was the first announced by Israel since Tel Aviv and Washington carried out join strikes against Iran on February 28, sparking a region-wide conflict that has now hit the one-month mark. With the conflict dragging on, the Iran backed Houthi movement in Yemen warned on Friday that it would join the war should aggression continue against its ally, or if more countries join the conflict. "We affirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention," the group was quoted as saying by AFP. The Houthis also warned that it would join the war if the Red Sea — where the outfit has attacked ships before — were to be used for "hostile operations". During Israel's war on Gaza, launched in October 2023, the Houthis routinely targeted ships in the Red Sea and carried out missile and drone strikes against Israel, pledging solidarity with Palestinians. In response to the Houthis' disruption of shipping through the Red Sea over the past couple of years, Israel and the US have regularly struck the war-torn country, killing dozens. The warning raises the prospects of a broader war in the Middle East, particularly given the Houthis’ ability to disrupt shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and strike targets far beyond Yemen. Tehran's Shi'ite allies in Lebanon and Iraq have already joined the war against the US, and Houthi involvement would mark the entry of yet another pro-Iran actor. Saturday's missile launch also comes at a time when the US, led by President Donald Trump, has been ramping up troop presence in the Middle East, with the latest reports suggesting that the Department of War is mulling the deployment of as many as 10,000 troops to the region, including 5,000 US Marines and thousands of paratroopers from the famed 82nd Airborne Division.