Shortly after the U.S. attacked Iran Saturday night, Yemen’s Houthi militant group announced it was joining the fight in support of Tehran.
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“Yemen will officially enter the war,” said an X account linked to the rebel group, which controls much of the country around Yemen’s capital. “[K]eep your ships away from our territorial waters.” Yemen’s rebel government affirmed threats against U.S. ships made by armed Houthi militants, the Times of Israel reported Sunday.
The Houthis, whose official name is Ansar Allah, have launched attacks on Israel and the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians since late 2023, when Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza began. The U.S. had been waging a massive air assault on the Houthis until May, when it reached a bilateral ceasefire with the group.
Ansar Allah’s entry into the war raises risks of a longer, wider conflict. Iran sponsors but does not control the group, and President Donald Trump has said that any strikes from the Houthis emanate from Tehran.
