Houthis Join Iran War: Yemeni Rebels Attack Israel, Impose Ban On Israeli Ships In Red Sea

Published 8 June 2026 · world

Houthis Join Iran War: Yemeni Rebels Attack Israel, Impose Ban On Israeli Ships In Red Sea Published By, Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 16:52 IST

Houthis Join Iran War: Yemeni Rebels Attack Israel, Impose Ban On Israeli Ships In Red Sea Published By, Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 16:52 IST Houthi rebels say they fired missiles at Israel and banned Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, as Israel and Iran trade fire, threatening the fragile ceasefire. People cross the street past a large billboard showing portraits of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L) and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) in central Tehran on June 8. (AFP photo) Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday said they had launched a missile attack on Israel and imposed a “total ban" on Israeli vessels passing through the Red Sea. The announcement came as Iran and Israel exchanged strikes on Monday for the first time since a fragile ceasefire paused weeks of fighting in April, raising fears that the escalation could trigger a new full-scale conflict. The Houthis harassed cargo ships in the vital seaway during the Israel-Hamas war, forcing many companies into a lengthy detour around the tip of southern Africa.

Their threat comes as the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Gulf sea and its energy exporters, remains blockaded by Iran as a result of the Middle East war with the US and Israel. “We declare a complete and total ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea," said a statement from the Houthis’ armed forces. “We consider all enemy movements to be legitimate military targets for our armed forces from the moment this statement is issued." The Red Sea is one of the world’s most important trade routes, carrying a significant share of global oil and container traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Any disruption to shipping in the area risks wider economic consequences, including delays and higher freight costs. The Houthis, who joined the Middle East war in support of Iran in March, had not announced a missile attack on Israel since a fragile ceasefire began on April 8.

They said they “launched a missile barrage targeting sensitive Israeli enemy targets", claiming the strikes “achieved their objectives with precision". The Israeli military earlier wrote on Telegram that it “has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defense systems are operating to intercept the threat". The Houthis’ attack came as Israel and Iran traded fire on Monday, putting the ceasefire under renewed strain and threatening hopes for a peace deal. The Houthis and Lebanon-based Hezbollah form part of the “Axis of Resistance" grouping of pro-Iran forces opposed to Israel and the United States. The rebels from Yemen’s rugged north have controlled much of the country for more than a decade after they seized the capital and forced out the government in September 2014. A Saudi-led international military intervention from March 2015 triggered a brutal civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead from direct and indirect causes.