Yemen's Houthi rebels announced Monday that they were reinstating what they described as a naval blockade on Israel and closing the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Israeli shipping, while also claiming responsibility for missile attacks launched earlier in the day.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Iran-backed group was imposing a “complete ban” on Israeli maritime traffic in the Red Sea and would consider any Israeli vessel a military target.
“We announce a complete ban on the enemy's navigation in the Red Sea and consider any Israeli movement a military target for our forces,” Saree said.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world's busiest shipping routes and a critical passage for vessels traveling to and from the Suez Canal.
Saree also claimed responsibility for missile launches toward Israel earlier Monday, saying the Houthis had struck “sensitive targets belonging to the Israeli enemy in Jaffa,” a reference often used by the group for the Tel Aviv area.
Earlier Monday, air raid sirens sounded across central Israel after the IDF said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. The alerts affected the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, the Shephelah region and the Lachish area.
The attack came amid intensifying regional fighting after Israel carried out overnight strikes against military targets in Iran. Iranian media reported explosions in several cities, including Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan.
Hours later, Iran launched a separate missile barrage toward central and southern Israel, marking the first time in the latest escalation that both regions came under attack simultaneously. A projectile reportedly struck the West Bank, though no immediate casualties were reported.
In his statement, Saree warned that the Houthis would “respond to escalation with escalation” and said the group's operations would intensify “in coordination with the axis of jihad and resistance,” referring to the network of Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians. Previous attacks prompted U.S.-led military operations aimed at protecting maritime traffic through the waterway.