What can the entry of the Houthi rebels from Yemen change in the Middle East conflict?

The allies of Iran claimed their first attack against Israel since the beginning of the war on Saturday.

Published on March 28, 2026 at 15:35, Reading time: 4min

Are we heading towards a tipping point in the Middle East conflict? The Houthi rebels from Yemen, allies of Iran, claimed their first attack against Israel in a month of war on Saturday, March 28. Just a few hours earlier, the Israeli army detected a missile launch from Yemen and activated its anti-aircraft defense systems.

The Houthi spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated in a video posted on X that the attack targeted “sensitive military sites” with ballistic missiles. The day before, the group had announced readiness to intervene militarily in case of escalation involving Israel or the United States against Iran, also mentioning possible actions from the Red Sea.

Escalating the conflict

The Houthis are part of what Iran calls the “axis of resistance,” along with Lebanese Hezbollah, Palestinian Hamas, and pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq. According to Denis Bauchard, former diplomat and president of the scientific and administrative council of the Arab Center for Research and Political Studies in Paris (Carep), it was “surprising that they hadn’t intervened yet,” as “the Houthi front has existed since the October 7 attacks and the Gaza war.”

This is not the first time the Houthis have targeted Israel or its interests. Between 2023 and 2025, during the Gaza war, they carried out numerous missile and drone attacks, also targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and disrupting maritime traffic in that strategic zone. According to David Rigoulet-Roze, a researcher at the French Institute for Strategic Analysis (Ifas), the Houthi intervention is not entirely unexpected, but “very worrisome.” Speaking on “8:30 franceinfo” on Saturday morning, he believes it is “an additional escalation of the conflict.”

A major maritime threat

“The real threat is primarily maritime,” according to Denis Bauchard. Because the involvement of the Houthis in the conflict poses a threat to the highly strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait, which separates Yemen from Djibouti on the African continent, providing a link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Denis Bauchard believes that a blockade of this strait could have “consequences comparable to those caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.” The blocking of this vital route for Saudi oil exports and global trade could lead to “a diversion of maritime flows and a potential disruption of supply chains, with global economic repercussions,” notes David Rigoulet-Roze. In case of closure, ships would have to bypass Africa to connect Europe to Asia.

An Iranian “proxy” with its own agenda

Regarding the military capabilities of the Houthis, their weaponry “largely comes from the arsenals of the Yemeni army, but they have also received medium and long-range missiles from Iran,” details Denis Bauchard.

While the Houthis are supported by Iran, “they remain relatively autonomous,” he reminds. “The Houthis are a ‘proxy’ of Iran, but with their own agenda, unlike Hezbollah, which operates in a more coordinated manner with Tehran,” explains the Middle East specialist. According to him, their involvement in the conflict goes beyond military objectives: “Their contribution will certainly remain quite marginal; it is primarily a way to assert their existence and seek international recognition.”

For Israel, a threat added to others

Israel has means of retaliation against this new threat. “The Israeli defense system is effective, but in case of saturation, some air-to-surface missiles can pass. However, the capabilities of the Houthis remain limited; long-range missiles are easier to detect than drones,” explains Denis Bauchard.

However, this new front poses an additional challenge for the Israeli army, already mobilized on several fronts – Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. “So, a new threat is emerging against Israel, which can contribute to the fatigue of the Israeli armed forces,” concludes Denis Bauchard. Especially as it comes at a time when the Chief of Staff has raised an alert about a risk of collapse of the army due to a lack of personnel.