Yemeni Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, claim to have attacked Israel.
Attack via Drones and Missiles
The Houthi rebels from Yemen have announced that they have targeted areas in Israel with a large number of drones and a significant barrage of missiles. These attacks were aimed at several Israeli targets, according to a statement by the rebels who are supported by Iran.
A spokesperson for the rebels emphasized that these attacks are the third operation in support of the Palestinians. The Houthi-affiliated news site, Saba, released a statement highlighting that the attacks will continue until Israeli aggression ends.
Israel Intercepts Missiles
The Israeli army reported that they successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile that was launched from the Red Sea region. The Houthi rebels had previously admitted to launching rockets and drones towards Israel and threaten to continue their assaults until the war in Gaza is over.
Iranian Support
The statements and attacks by the Houthis point to Iran as their main sponsor, shedding light on the connection between the Gaza war, the extreme Hamas group, and Israel. The Houthis, who control a significant portion of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have in the past claimed to have fired ballistic missiles at Israel and sent drones towards the country.
US Navy Intervenes
A US Navy destroyer recently intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones in the Red Sea that had been launched by the Houthi rebels towards Israel. There were also reports of mysterious projectiles striking near the Egyptian border with Israel.
Iran’s Role Behind the Scenes
Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Houthis, although evidence suggests they have supplied weapons, including rifles, rocket launchers, and missiles, to Yemen. Independent experts, Western nations, and UN specialists have attributed seized weapon components found on ships to Iran. A United Nations weapons embargo against the Houthis has been in place since 2014 when the civil war in Yemen began.
