Houthis launch missile strikes on Israel in coordination with Iran

On June 15, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement announced that it coordinated recent missile attacks on Israel with Iran — marking the first public acknowledgment of joint operational cooperation between Tehran and an Iran-aligned group in targeting Israel.

In a televised statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yehya Sarea said the group launched several ballistic missiles at central Israel’s coastal city of Jaffa within the past 24 hours, Caliber.Az informs, citing Western media.

“This operation was carried out in coordination with the Iranian military’s actions against the criminal Israeli enemy,” Sarea declared, framing the strikes as a show of solidarity with the Palestinian and Iranian peoples.

The Israeli military reported that air raid sirens sounded in multiple areas following missile launches originating from Yemen and Iran. These attacks come amid an ongoing exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran, triggered after Israel launched its largest-ever military operation against Tehran on Friday.

On the day of Israel’s offensive against Iran, Israeli officials said a missile fired from Yemen landed in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, although the Houthis did not claim responsibility for that particular launch.

Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the Houthis have frequently targeted Israel with missile fire, stating their actions were in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Most of these attacks have been intercepted by Israeli defense systems. Israel, in turn, has carried out a series of retaliatory airstrikes against the Houthis.

Earlier this year, the United States intensified military strikes against Houthi forces but halted its campaign after the group agreed to suspend attacks on American naval vessels, a move endorsed by President Donald Trump.

By Khagan Isayev