Israeli military confirmed on Saturday (March 28) that a missile was detected launching from Yemen towards Israeli territory. This marks the first time Israel has been attacked by Yemen since the outbreak of the current Middle East conflict.
From late Friday night to early Saturday morning, Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon continued to fire at Israel during the night, with frequent air raid sirens sounding in Beer Sheba and areas near Israel’s main nuclear research center.
Hours before this attack, Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Houthi rebels in Yemen, issued a statement warning that if actions against Iran and the “Axis of Resistance” escalated, the group was prepared to enter the conflict.
Saree emphasized, “We have our fingers on the trigger, ready for direct military intervention.”
If the Houthi rebels join the war, concerns arise again about whether they will once more target commercial vessels crossing the Red Sea corridor.
The disruption of Red Sea shipping would further exacerbate global transportation challenges. Currently, global maritime trade is already impacted by Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the outbreak of hostilities, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas was transported through this waterway.
On Friday, the Israeli military announced strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, including a heavy water reactor in Arak in central Iran and a yellowcake processing plant in Yazd.
Tehran quickly responded to this, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating on social media, “Iran will make Israel pay a heavy price for its actions.”
Subsequently, Iran attacked an airbase in Saudi Arabia. According to U.S. officials, this attack resulted in at least 12 American soldiers being injured, and several refueling aircraft in the base were damaged.
In response to the changing situation in the region, the U.S. military has deployed approximately 2,500 Marines to the Middle East, as well as a rapid response force of 1,000 from the 82nd Airborne Division, to ensure maximum strategic flexibility in case of emergencies.