Houthis claim missile strikes on Israel, widening Middle East war

2026-03-29 - 00:21

Houthi supporters gather in front of a digital billboard featuring missiles and an Iranian flag during a rally in solidarity with Iran in Sana’a, Yemen. (EPA Images pic) TEHRAN: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels joined the month-old Middle East war on Saturday, claiming two missile attacks on Israel as explosions shook the Iranian capital. The intervention of Iran’s Yemeni allies is raising concern about disruptions to Red Sea shipping lanes, already under pressure from the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. During Israel’s recent war in Gaza, the Houthis, claiming solidarity with Palestinians, attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, forcing companies to take costly detours. Until Saturday, they had sat out the latest conflict, even as the Red Sea grew more vital. Since the launch of hostilities, Saudi Arabia has rerouted much of its oil exports via the Red Sea port of Yanbu to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran says it has closed to shipping from hostile powers. A Houthi spokesman said the group fired “a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting several vital and military sites” in Israel in a second strike. Earlier, the group said it had launched ballistic missiles at Israeli military sites, its first attack on Israel since the war began a month ago. Israel’s military said Saturday it struck the headquarters of Iran’s Marine Industries Organisation in Tehran, saying the facility developed “a wide range of naval weaponry.” An AFP journalist in Tehran reported intense explosions and a plume of black smoke overnight. On Saturday evening, another wave of blasts rang out in the capital for several minutes, with no immediate word on what was targeted. An Israeli military spokesman said attacks on Iranian military industry had intensified and “within a few days, we will complete attacks on all critical components.” “I miss a peaceful night’s sleep,” an artist in Tehran told AFP, saying the previous night’s strikes were “so intense it felt like all of Tehran was shaking.” “We are powerless to change a government that kills, and we don’t want this war either. We just want a normal, simple life.” The conflict began when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes across Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, engulfing the region in conflict, sending energy prices soaring and prompting diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting.