Shafaq News- Sanaa
Yemen's Houthi Movement (Ansarallah) announced Monday a complete ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, warning that any Israeli vessel detected in the area will be treated as a legitimate military target.
Military spokesperson Yahya Saree confirmed the ban and a hypersonic missile salvo the group directed toward “sensitive targets in the occupied Jaffa area,” asserting the operation achieved its intended objectives. Israeli media previously reported that a missile fired from Yemen had been intercepted.
The Red Sea restriction has been a recurring instrument of Houthi pressure since November 19, 2023, when the group began targeting Israeli-affiliated shipping in solidarity with Gaza. The campaign forced major container lines to reroute around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks and high cost to Asia-Europe trade. The Houthis suspended broad maritime restrictions in January 2025 following a Gaza ceasefire, but formally reimposed a comprehensive blockade on Israeli vessels on March 11, 2025, after Israel halted aid deliveries into Gaza.
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية استهدفت أهدافا حساسة للعدو الإسرائيلي في منطقة يافا المحتلة وذلك بدفعة صاروخية. pic.twitter.com/PcPPQTEwfu
— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) June 8, 2026
Monday's announcement situates the Houthis within a broader escalation involving the Axis of Resistance, an Iran-aligned coalition of armed factions across the Middle East opposing Israel and US influence in the region. On Sunday, Iran carried out four waves of missile strikes toward Israel in response to a previous Israeli attack on Beirut's southern suburb. Israel responded with strikes on Iranian missile launch sites, weapons facilities, and air defense systems, which led to further retaliation from Tehran.
Several Axis members had entered active confrontation with Israel before the current escalation. Hezbollah in Lebanon resumed direct exchanges with Israel on March 2. Israel's ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, warned that any further fire toward Israel would trigger strikes on the group's command centers in Beirut's southern suburbs (Dahyeh).
In Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah —one of the country's most influential Iran-aligned factions operating under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-recognized paramilitary network— warned it would target US military installations across the region if Washington intervenes directly in the Israel-Iran confrontation.