Yemen's Houthi rebels spark conflict with ballistic missile strike aimed at Israel

Rocket trails illuminated the sky above Netanya, an Israeli coastal city, amidst a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks late on March 27, 2026, and emergency responders reported a man was killed in Israel on March 28 after the Israeli military confirmed missiles were fired from Iran.

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Yemen’s Houthi rebels declared their entry into the Middle East war on Saturday by launching a ballistic missile towards Israel, as the global community struggled to mitigate the economic fallout of a conflict now entering its second month.

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The intervention of Iran’s Yemeni allies in Tehran’s conflict with Israel and the United States sparked concerns about potential disruptions to Red Sea shipping, with trade from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz already severely impacted.

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The war began when the United States and Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Iran, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and engulfing the Middle East in conflict, which triggered a significant surge in global oil and gas prices.

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Despite US President Donald Trump’s optimism that US forces have obliterated Iran’s military, with no end to the conflict in sight, a spokesman for the Houthis issued a video statement announcing the launch of ballistic missiles towards Israeli bases.

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A few hours prior, the Israeli military had reported identifying the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, and aerial defence systems were deployed to intercept the threat, with the missile reportedly being intercepted and no casualties or damage reported in Israel.

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The Houthis had previously attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during Israel’s war on Gaza, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians, but had remained inactive in the latest conflict until Saturday.

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The Red Sea has gained significant importance in the new war, as Saudi Arabia has diverted a substantial proportion of its oil exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran claims to have closed to shipping from hostile powers, resulting in increased energy prices worldwide.

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On Saturday, Iran’s military announced that it had targeted a US logistics vessel near the Omani port of Salalah on the Arabian Sea, while Oman reported a drone attack on the port that wounded a foreign worker.

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Air travel has also been disrupted, with authorities in Kuwait and Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan reporting damage to airport facilities in strikes on Saturday.

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A fire broke out after Iranian missiles and drones hit an industrial zone in the United Arab Emirates, injuring five people, while in Iran, production was shut down at a major steel plant in the southwest of the country following US-Israeli strikes.

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that they would retaliate for any economic damage by striking industrial sites across the region, having previously issued similar warnings for US military bases and hotels hosting American troops.

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Israel announced fresh strikes on Tehran, and an AFP journalist in the city reported around 10 intense blasts and a plume of black smoke overnight, as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sent a message to regional countries, warning them not to allow their enemies to wage war from their lands if they desired development and security.

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An Iranian missile and drone attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday wounded at least 12 American soldiers, two of them seriously, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

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US special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed hope that Iran would engage in talks with Washington, believing it could happen as early as the current week, and stated that a 15-point US peace plan could potentially resolve the conflict.

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Pakistan is set to host foreign ministers from regional powers Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt in Islamabad on Monday for talks on the crisis, while Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul anticipated a direct US-Iran meeting in Pakistan soon.

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Thailand joined a handful of nations that have secured safe passage for their oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in an agreement with Iran, as announced on Saturday.