Yemen's Houthis escalate attacks on Israel as they are drawn into Iran war - with vital trade route at risk of shutdown: Live updates
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Source: Daily Mail
Yemen's Houthis have claimed to have struck parts of southern Israel with 'a barrage of cruise missiles and drones' in a second attack today.
It comes after Israel's military said it had successfully intercepted the first strike earlier today, but the move raises concerns that the armed militia could join Tehran in attacks on shipping in the region.
Experts fear that the Houthis could close the Suez Canal after the Yemeni militia joined the conflict in the Middle East overnight by firing a missile towards Israel.
The Houthis could target ships in the the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a choke point which leads to the Suez Canal, or even the canal itself, Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of Media Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, has said.
This would mean a second major shipping route closed in addition to the Strait of Hormuz, potentially causing significant harm to the global economy - with vessels unable to retain insurance to travel through the region.
Elsewhere, more than two dozen US troops have been wounded in Iranian strikes on a Saudi air base in the past week, sources have said, including 15 in an incident at the Prince Sultan air base on Friday.
Strikes continued across the region overnight, including in Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Bahrain.
Israel has threatened to escalate strikes on the Islamic regime, while US President Donald Trump yesterday hinted he was considering sending troops into the region - something Iran warned would see them exact a heavy price.
13:52
Breaking:Houthis confirm second airstrike on Israel
Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for a second attack, which was launched on southern Israel earlier today.
A Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson said the group conducted 'a barrage of cruise missiles and drones' targeting 'several vital [Israeli] military sites.
The spokesperson added that the airstrikes 'coincided' with Hezbollah and Iran's military operations and 'successfully achieved its objectives'.
04:49
Houthi rebels 'could close Suez Canal', experts warn
The Houthi rebels in Yemen could cause further turmoil to global shipping by effectively closing the Suez Canal, experts have warned.
The terror group, backed by Iran, entered the war between Tehran and the US and Israel overnight with a missile attack towards Tel Aviv.
It is feared the militia could make a return to striking ships after attacking multiple vessels in the Red Sea during the war in Gaza.
An obvious target would be the Bab al-Mandab Strait off the coast of Yemen, a key choke point for sea traffic towards the Suez Canal.
Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said today the Houthis have 'significant power'. He added:
If they decided to move to shut down Bab al-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea and, ultimately, the Suez Canal, then we would have two major choke points [closed] along with the Strait of Hormuz.
These are major international shipping waterways for international trade, so I think it can be very significant from that standpoint.
00:43
Houthis enter Iran war raising spectre of closure of Red Sea
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have entered the conflict in the Middle East and launched a missile attack on Israel.
The terror group's strike raises the prospects of a broader regional confrontation, as well as an increased threat to shipping in the region.
The group said the attack with a barrage of missiles came after continued targeting of infrastructure in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories, adding that their operations would continue until the 'aggression' on all fronts ends.
On Friday, Brig Gen Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said the rebels could join the war on behalf of Iran if attacks on the country did not cease.
'We affirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention in any of the following cases,' Saree said. They included the 'continuation of the escalation against the Islamic Republic and the Axis of Jihad and Resistance, as dictated by the theatre of military operations.'
The group has now said it will remain in the conflict until all its goals are met.
There are fears that the move could see wider attacks on shipping in the region and even the closure of the Red Sea, in addition to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis previously launched strikes against vessels in the Red Sea during the height of Israel's war in Gaza.
