Houthis Open Second Front, Firing First Ballistic Missile at Israel From Yemen

On Day 29 of the US-Israel war against Iran, the Houthi movement fired its first ballistic missile at Israel in the current conflict, opening a second strategic front. The missile, launched from Yemen toward Beersheba in southern Israel, was intercepted by IDF air defenses. The attack fulfills a declared trigger condition: Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree had warned the group's 'fingers were on the trigger' and it would enter the war if new allies joined the coalition or if the Red Sea was used to attack Iran. The 1,800+ km Yemen-to-Israel trajectory is operationally significant — it requires Israel to maintain active air defense coverage over a completely different azimuth while simultaneously absorbing Iranian salvos from the north and east. The Houthis demonstrated this range capability during the 2023-24 Gaza war, when they fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel. Their entry into the current conflict compounds the multi-front pressure on Israeli and US air defense systems already absorbing Iranian BM salvos, UAE cruise missile attacks, and Hezbollah rockets from Lebanon simultaneously.

Key facts

• •First Houthi ballistic missile attack on Israel in the current war — intercepted, no injuries
• •Yemen-to-Israel trajectory: ~1,800 km — one of the longest missile attacks on Israel in history
• •Houthis declared 'fingers on trigger' days earlier; entry fulfills declared war entry condition
• •Attack simultaneous with Iranian BM salvos at Israel (Golan, central Israel) and UAE cruise missile + drone attack
• •Houthis hold stocks of ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, and drones — first attack may signal sustained campaign