Yemen’s Houthis launch Israel strike, the first of the Iran war

Yemen’s Houthis launched a missile strike against Israel, the group said Saturday. It was the first time the Tehran-backed militia had intervened in the U.S.-Israeli-led war against Iran, which has entered its second month.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces … have carried out the first military operation using a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli military sites,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a post on X.

Saree said the strike was in support of Iran’s regime and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces said they “identified the launch of a missile from Yemen towards Israel,” adding that its aerial defenses intercepted the threat.

The move by the Houthis marks an escalation in the conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iranian targets on Feb. 28.

Analysts have told CNBC that the Houthis could attempt to choke off maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, separating the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa — through which ships must pass to reach the Red Sea and the Suez Canal — adding to pressure on global trade.

Early Saturday, Danish shipping giant Maersk, widely regarded as a barometer of global trade, responded to reports of drone activity and explosions that occurred at the Port of Salalah in Oman.

“We are pleased to confirm that all Maersk crew are safe and accounted for and no Maersk vessels or cargo have been affected,” the company said in a statement. “Following the incident in which a terminal crane sustained damage and a port worker suffered minor injuries, the port was immediately evacuated and operations across the facility were temporarily suspended.”

Maersk had said earlier in March that the situation in the Middle East had prompted it to pause future trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until further notice.

The Port of Salalah remains in full cooperation with relevant authorities and Maersk’s current estimate is that operations will be on hold for approximately 48 hours. We will inform customers if there are any changes to this timeline as soon as information becomes available.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait was estimated to account for 12% of seaborne oil trade and 8% of liquefied natural gas trade in the first half of 2023.

Iranian forces have already effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supplies moved before the war.

Oil prices on Friday closed at their highest level in more than three years, as President Donald Trump’s pivot toward negotiations with Iran failed to ease market fears about the huge supply disruption in the Middle East.

U.S. crude oil prices rose 5.46% to close at $99.64 per barrel. International benchmark Brent…