Iran-sponsored Houthis in Yemen on Friday (April 3, 2026) claimed it had hit Israel’s Jaffa area with a “barrage of ballistic missiles” in a joint military operation.
The Houthis’ involvement in Iran’s war with the US and Israel indicated expansion of the West Asian conflict with non-state actors aiding Tehran.
Houthis’ military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group attacked Israel’s Jaffa region in coordination with other allied groups in the Gulf region, including the “resistance and jihad fronts in Iraq, Iran, Palestine, and Lebanon.”
Saree said, the group “carried out a military operation using a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting vital Israeli enemy targets in the occupied Jaffa area.”
The operation was jointly executed with forces linked to Iran and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, the Houthis spokesperson said, adding that the missile strike “successfully achieved its objectives.”
He said the Houthis’ involvement in the West Asian war would continue and potentially intensify depending on the developments in the conflict.
Houthis spokesperson’s statement affirmed that “their military intervention in this crucial and exceptional battle is gradual” and would not stop at this level of involvement.
Saree said the group’s future actions would be determined by the “enemy escalation or de-escalation.” Praising the allied groups, Houthis described them as forces defending regional dignity against a “Western-Zionist scheme.”
In response to the Houthis’ missiles, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had identified the missiles launched from Yemen toward Israeli territory. On Telegram, the IDF posted: “Initial report – The IDF has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory; aerial defense systems are operating to intercept the threat. The public is requested to follow the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines.”
On Wednesday (April 1), the Houthis claimed to have executed the “third joint operation” in coordination with allied groups in Iran and Lebanon, targeting “sensitive sites” in “south of occupied Palestine”.