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The Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched two missiles toward Israel on Saturday, marking the emergence of a third front for Israel in its ongoing conflict with the Islamic Republic and its other militant ally, Hezbollah, based in Lebanon.
The Houthis announced that they had aimed at “sensitive Israeli military sites” with a volley of ballistic missiles. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported, as noted by YNET, that they successfully intercepted both a cruise missile and a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis on Saturday morning.
Nadwa Al-Dawsari, a Yemen specialist and associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, shared insights with Fox News Digital, stating, “This conflict now centers on the survival of the Iranian regime. The involvement of the Houthis and other members of the Axis is directed by the IRGC-controlled Axis of Resistance Operations Room.”
Al-Dawsari added, “The Houthis have shown resilience against intense U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. For Iran and the Houthis, ‘victory’ means enduring, not necessarily achieving a decisive triumph.”
In an image capturing the geopolitical tensions, Houthi supporters are seen trampling on British and U.S. flags during a rally supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, alongside recent Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, held on February 4, 2024, on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
“The strategy is to prolong the conflict and raise the cost. The Houthis are uniquely positioned to do that, given their ability to disrupt critical maritime routes and open additional pressure fronts. If escalation continues, they will likely resume Red Sea attacks and could expand pressure toward KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia].”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Houthis were engaged in a war before the Biden administration reportedly forced the Saudi government to stop its military strikes on the Houthis. Biden had also delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization only for the Trump administration to swiftly reimpose the terror designation on the Houthis in the early days of his second term.
Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, told Fox News Digital, “The Houthis appear to be acting under heavy pressure from Tehran. Iran wanted them involved two weeks ago, and this attack looks more symbolic than strategic. It is part of Tehran’s effort to improve its position in negotiations with the U.S. by showing that it still has cards to play beyond Hormuz.
Thousands of people gather at Sabeen Square, under the control of the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, to protest the killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes and to condemn the attacks on Iran, in Sanaa, Yemen, March 6, 2026. (Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The Houthis do not control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but they can still disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. At the same time, they seem to view Iran as a dead horse and are cautious about betting too heavily on it.”
The Houthis are fanatically anti-American and anti-Israel. The official slogan of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) is, “Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.”Â
The Houthis control most of northwest Yemen. They expelled the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa, in 2015.
Pro-Iran protesters display signs depicting Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei and chant slogans at a rally to condemn the U.S.-Israel aerial attacks on Iran March 1, 2026, in Sanaa, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
The Houthis joined Hamas in its war against Israel in mid-October 2023, after the terrorist movement in Gaza invaded Israel and murdered over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans. A Houthi drone killed an Israeli civilian in Tel Aviv in 2024.
Michael Szanto, an international relations expert, told Fox News Digital, “Iran has already been badly hit by the United States and Israel, and all supply routes between Iran and Yemen will be cut off by U.S. forces. This means that Yemen will lack the supply lines to maintain a sustained offensive against Israel, though it still likely has large stockpile of missiles and drones.
“The Houthis are making a major strategic mistake by once again provoking Israel, which will try to finish off the terrorist threat in Yemen. The Houthis have proven themselves to also be a menace to the Saudis, the Emiratis, the U.S. and the world.”
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, Oct. 9, 2023. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)
Saturday’s attack happened hours before a spokesman for the terrorist group threatened that its “fingers were on the trigger.”Â