War in Middle East Intensifies with First Strike from Yemen Israel’s military confirmed that Yemen had launched a missile toward the country early Saturday, marking the first time the nation faced direct fire from Yemen. Sirens sounded around Beer Sheba and near Israel’s main nuclear research center as Iran and Hezbollah continued to strike Israeli targets overnight. The Houthis, a rebel group backed by Iran, have controlled Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014. They did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which followed years of an uneasy ceasefire with Saudi Arabia, which has waged a war against the group since 2015. The Houthis had previously avoided direct involvement in the broader Middle East conflict, focusing instead on attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. These strikes disrupted global shipping, which previously handled over $1 trillion in goods annually. The rebels also targeted Israeli military sites with drones. Meanwhile, Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities hours after threatening to escalate its campaign against Tehran. Iran vowed retaliation, striking a U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia and wounding American troops. Houthis’ military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, outlined conditions under which the group might join the war, including continued Iranian aggression against the “Axis of Resistance.” This potential involvement raises concerns about renewed attacks on Red Sea shipping, which has already faced disruptions from Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthi rebels previously damaged over 100 vessels, sinking two and killing four sailors, from November 2023 to January 2025. Iran’s recent agreement to allow humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz, announced by its UN ambassador, aimed to ease global supply chain issues.#yemen #iran #hezbollah #houthi #sanaa
