By Elsie Kamsiyochi
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement escalated the Middle East conflict dramatically on Saturday, firing missiles at Israel for the first time since the Iran war erupted nearly a month ago.
Their attack marked a turning point in a fast-spreading regional crisis that has already drawn in multiple countries, disrupted global trade routes, and strained Washington’s alliances as the conflict enters its fifth week.
Until now, Yemen had been one of the few Iranian-aligned states to remain largely on the sidelines of the fighting. The decision to launch missiles at Israel signaled a major shift and raised fears that the war could widen even further. The Houthis said the attack was a direct response to what they described as “aggression” against Iran and the wider Axis of Resistance, adding that they would not halt operations “until the assault on all fronts ends.”
Before the strike, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said American military operations in Iran were proceeding ahead of schedule and could wrap up “within weeks, not months.” Yet the Houthis’ entry into the conflict underscores how unpredictable the regional landscape has become, even as diplomatic attempts to de-escalate remain fragile and largely stagnant.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, held talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of a planned meeting on Sunday that will bring together top diplomats from Turkey and Saudi Arabia. These discussions aim to slow the deteriorating regional security environment, though so far they have yielded no immediate breakthroughs.
The war, triggered by coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has torn across the Middle East with devastating speed. Thousands have been killed, entire cities across multiple countries have been targeted, and global markets have taken heavy blows. The conflict has become the most severe disruption to the world’s energy supplies in modern history, sending oil prices soaring to $100 per barrel and shaking financial markets already on edge.
On Saturday, Israel said it carried out a sweeping series of strikes on Tehran, targeting what it described as key infrastructure sites tied to the Iranian government. Israeli forces also expanded operations in Lebanon, where conflict with Iran-aligned Hezbollah has resumed in full. Airstrikes killed three Lebanese journalists traveling in a media vehicle, according to Lebanon’s Al Manar TV, as well as a Lebanese soldier.
Iran has continued launching retaliatory attacks of its own. After striking a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia on Friday—wounding 12 American service members, two seriously—Tehran vowed it would hit back “strongly” if its infrastructure or economic centers came under further attack. The strike on the Saudi base represented one of the most significant breaches of U.S. air defenses since the war began.
Regional Escalation and Threats to Global Shipping
Israel confirmed that a missile fired from Yemen was detected and intercepted on Saturday, with no casualties reported. Even so, the attack highlighted a dangerous new front. The Houthis have demonstrated an ability to strike far beyond Yemen’s borders, having already disrupted major shipping lanes around the Red Sea during the Gaza war. Their involvement now raises alarms about the Bab al-Mandab Strait—one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints—and the potential for an even broader maritime crisis.
With the Strait of Hormuz already effectively shut down due to attacks and counter-attacks between U.S., Israeli, and Iranian forces, global trade is facing unprecedented disruption. The possibility that the Houthis could intensify attacks on ships heading toward the Suez Canal adds another layer of risk to a global economy already struggling under soaring energy prices.
Domestically, the conflict is increasingly unpopular in the United States. With midterm elections approaching in November, rising fuel prices and the prospect of prolonged engagement have placed heavy political pressure on President Donald Trump and his administration. Rubio has urged U.S. allies—particularly NATO members and Asian economies dependent on energy shipping through the Gulf—to contribute more to security operations. Trump has gone further, warning that a lack of European support could have long-term implications for NATO’s future.
Although Rubio insisted ground troops would not be required to meet U.S. objectives, he acknowledged that Washington was deploying thousands of Marines and airborne soldiers to the region to give Trump “maximum optionality” should conditions worsen.
Markets in Turmoil as Conflict Deepens
Financial markets reacted sharply to signs the war may drag on. Brent crude has surged more than 50% since the conflict began, while fuel prices in the U.S. have climbed steeply—especially in California, where diesel reached an all-time high. Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran’s energy grid unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, though he recently extended his deadline, giving Iran ten additional days to respond.
Israel has also escalated strikes on Iran’s nuclear-related sites. Russia’s state nuclear agency, Rosatom, evacuated workers from the Bushehr nuclear plant after nearby strikes raised concerns about safety. Tehran’s leadership warned that any attack on key Iranian infrastructure would prompt severe retaliation.
Meanwhile, missile and drone attacks spread across the Gulf. The UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait all reported strikes or attempted strikes on Saturday. Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port saw fires break out after an intercepted missile fell nearby, and Kuwait’s international airport suffered serious radar damage after a drone attack.
Casualties continued to mount elsewhere. Iranian media reported that a U.S.-Israeli strike killed at least five people in a residential building in Zanjan. In Iran’s capital, the Iran University of Science and Technology was hit. Israel said an Iranian missile struck the village of Eshtaol near Jerusalem, sending seven residents to the hospital.
With both sides escalating operations and regional actors edging closer to direct involvement, diplomatic intermediaries—including Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey—have been attempting to shuttle messages between Washington and Tehran. Yet officials familiar with the talks remain doubtful that direct negotiations will begin any time soon.
The Houthi attack on Israel marks a new stage in a conflict that is rapidly growing more dangerous and more unpredictable. With missile exchanges now spanning from Yemen to Iran to Lebanon—and with vital global shipping corridors threatened—the risk of a full regional war has never been higher.
Source Reuters
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