US-Israel strike on Iran: Houthis warn of imminent missile and drone attacks in Red Sea corridor

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have decided to resume missile and drone attacks on key shipping routes and on Israel, aligning the move with support for Iran, two senior Houthi officials told Reuters.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Reuters as there has been no formal announcement from the group’s leadership, said preparations were underway. One of them indicated the first strike could come as soon as “tonight.”

The development marks a reversal from a recent pause in hostilities. The rebels had halted attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea under a deal with the Trump administration that also stopped US strikes against Houthi targets. They had also ceased attacks on Israel following an October ceasefire that brought a halt to major fighting in Gaza.

The Houthi group — redesignated as a terrorist organization by the United States in January 2024 — had previously framed its actions as support for Palestinians in Gaza during the nearly two-year war that followed the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In what it described as solidarity with Gaza, the group repeatedly targeted Israel and commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Security analysts say one plausible trajectory, given the Houthis’ demonstrated capabilities, could include attacks on US military facilities in Gulf countries or maritime assets in strategically vital waterways, potentially widening the scope of regional tensions.