Houthis have joined Israel's war on the side of Iran

In a new moment of escalation, the Houthis of Yemen have joined Israel’s war on the side of Iran:

JUST IN: 🇾🇪🇮🇷 Yemeni Houthis officially enter war against US & Israel in support of Iran.

"Our operations will continue until the objectives are achieved." pic.twitter.com/1TmQcRRrHz

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 28, 2026

Houthis escalation

The Houthis entered the war by launching a military attack on Israel (who themselves began the conflict by attacking Iran):

BREAKING: Yemen's Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group has carried out its first military attack against Israel. pic.twitter.com/N8cbNVu6aq

— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) March 28, 2026

al Jazeera reported:

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked Israel with a barrage of ballistic missiles – their first such strikes since the United States-Israeli war on Iran began.

Brigadier-General Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, announced the attack on Saturday on the rebels’ Al Masirah satellite television.

Strikes “will continue until the declared objectives are achieved, as stated in the previous statement by the armed forces, and until the aggression against all fronts of the resistance ceases”, Saree said.

The Israeli military said it intercepted one missile.

The U.S. gives Israel billions of dollars in military aid, why don’t you ever say “Israel’s U.S.-backed military” launches strikes? https://t.co/f7aXD5kvc7

— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) March 28, 2026

As of right now, the Houthis have only declared hostilities against Israel — not the US:

Very interesting: Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, are saying they will continue to respect the ceasefire they negotiated with Trump, which allows them to strike Israel but not US forces https://t.co/VMGQY6HytZ

— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) March 28, 2026

A new opponent entering the war could prove to be a real problem for Israel. As we reported on 27 March, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid:

shared a post—viewed by 1 million users— warning that Israel is facing a security disaster and that the military is “on the verge of collapse.”

He cited Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who sounded the same alarm to political-security cabinet. In a veiled message to Netanyahu, he Lapid said:

“Anyone who heard him yesterday will not be able to say, “I didn’t know.””

The IDF could soon collapse if there is no solution to the shortage of manpower, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir warned in remarks during a security cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
Reporting by: @keshet_neev @Jeremybob1 https://t.co/DZ4TN6nDzv

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) March 26, 2026

The war on Iran has led to the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As we’ve all learned, this has proven disastrous, because vast percentages of the world’s fuel, fertiliser, gas, and other resources pass through this narrow passage. What people may learn next is that the Houthis are positioned to close an entirely different strait.

Terrifying warning for the global economy. An expert details Iran's ultimate masterplan: a coordinated multi-strait blockade choking off Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, plus targeting the Suez Canal and Saudi pipelines. They have the power to completely paralyze Western trade. pic.twitter.com/HplfBdOmal

— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) March 28, 2026

The Bab-al Mandab Strait leads to Egypt’s Suez Canal. This passage allows ships to travel through the Mediterranean, facilitating shipping between Europe and Asia without a need to travel around Africa.

Capital markets commenters the Kobeissi Letter noted the following:

In a major escalation, Yemen’s Houthi Group has officially joined the war with a ballistic missle launch at Israel, just as the war hit its one-month mark.

All eyes are now on the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

If closed, the world loses another ~6 million barrels of daily oil supply

War

The Houthis entering the conflict is another sign that things could continue to escalate. It’s also another moment of grim vindication for those who warned that launching a war in the Middle East would be chaotic, costly, and futile.

Featured image via Al Jazeera