Sana'a: The Houthi group in Yemen has confirmed its first missile attack on Israel, marking a significant development in the ongoing Middle East conflict. The attack, carried out by the Houthi rebels allied with Iran, took place on Saturday and represents the first such strike since the war involving Iran began.

According to Thai News Agency, the Houthi group's involvement in the conflict could potentially escalate and prolong the war, which is now in its fifth week. The Houthis stated that the missile strike was a retaliatory measure against ongoing attacks on infrastructure in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and the Palestinian territories. They have vowed to continue their operations until what they describe as "aggression" on all fronts ceases. In response, Israel reported that it successfully intercepted the missiles launched from Yemen.

The war, initially sparked by attacks from the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, has rapidly spread across the Middle East. This conflict has resulted in thousands of fatalities and has caused unprecedented disruption to global energy supply systems, impacting the global economy and heightening inflation concerns.

On the previous day, Friday, the Houthi group had declared its readiness to take action should the violence against Iran and the "Axis of Resistance" escalate further. Historically, the Houthi group has demonstrated its capacity to attack distant targets from Yemen and disrupt critical shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea. This was evident in their show of support for Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which led to an ongoing war in Gaza.

Should the Houthi rebels opt to open a new front in this conflict, their focus would likely be on the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen's coast, a key maritime traffic point leading to the Suez Canal. This strategic maneuver would follow Iran's previous closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz.