Yemen's Houthi Rebels Launch Ballistic Missiles at Israel as Regional War Escalates

The Houthi movement in Yemen launched ballistic missiles against Israel on Saturday, March 28, 2026, opening a new front in the regional conflict on the exact one-month anniversary of the start of joint U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran. The Israeli army confirmed it had detected the launch of at least one missile from Yemeni territory toward Israel but did not immediately confirm whether the projectile was intercepted. The Houthis, led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and backed by Iran, announced the attack in a statement published on Telegram. The group declared it would continue military operations until the United States and Israel halt their strikes against Iran and allied militant groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. The missile launch marks a significant escalation in a conflict that has already claimed more than 4,000 lives and disrupted global energy markets since operations began on February 28, 2026.

Saudi oil hub Yanbu now within Houthi missile range The Houthi attack introduced fresh risks to the global flow of oil, with analysts and officials pointing to the vulnerability of key energy infrastructure in the region. Although the group did not announce plans to target tankers or vessels transiting the southern Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Israeli authorities believe the group retains the capacity to do so, according to an Israeli official familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity. The Saudi port of Yanbu, which the kingdom uses for oil exports as an alternative route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, is within range of Houthi missiles, according to the source article. An Israeli official told Bloomberg that Israeli authorities also believe the Houthis could move to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait again. The Houthis previously blocked that sea route for most Western shipping lines following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in 2023, forcing vessels to divert and disrupting a critical energy corridor.

The Houthi movement first drew international attention for its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. The group launched repeated strikes on vessels it described as linked to Israel or its allies, forcing major shipping lines to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope. The joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, killing then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in its initial strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, was subsequently appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026.

Iran struck U.S. air base, wounding at least 15 soldiers The Houthi missile launch came as Iran continued what it described as retaliatory strikes against Gulf Arab states and Israel following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian atomic and steel facilities on Friday. An Iranian strike on Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia on Friday left at least 15 U.S. soldiers wounded, five of them seriously, and damaged several refueling aircraft, according to the Associated Press. Iran fired six ballistic missiles and nearly 30 drones at the base in that attack, AP reported. More than two dozen U.S. soldiers were wounded in Iranian attacks on the same base, according to additional AP reporting. The U.S. military had not publicly commented on the strikes as of the time of reporting. The Israeli government was not surprised by the Houthi decision to join Iran in attacking Israel, according to the Israeli official cited by Bloomberg.

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Houthis vow to fight on until Iran strikes cease The Houthi declaration that operations would continue until U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and its allied groups cease signals that the group intends to sustain pressure regardless of the military response it faces. The Israeli government had anticipated this development, with the Israeli official telling Bloomberg that the Houthis' alignment with Iran made their entry into the conflict a matter of when, not if. The group's previous campaign against Red Sea shipping demonstrated its willingness and capability to sustain prolonged military pressure on international trade routes. The one-month mark of Operation Epic Fury has now coincided with a broadening of the conflict beyond Iran's borders, drawing in a non-state actor operating from Yemeni territory. The cumulative toll of more than 4,000 deaths and ongoing disruption to energy markets underscores the scale of the crisis that has unfolded since February 28, 2026.