Houthis re-enter the war with Israel, leaving Yemenis torn between pride and fear
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Tue, 06/09/2026 - 12:07
Some Yemenis believe it is an honour to support Palestine, Lebanon and Iran in their war against Israel, but others feel that 11 years of internal conflict are more than enough
Houthis brandish their weapons as they rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon, amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on 27 March 2026 (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)
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On Monday, the Houthis in Yemen announced they had fired a volley of missiles at Israel, a report later confirmed by Israeli media, which stated the projectiles were intercepted. Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, also declared a "complete ban on Israeli maritime navigation" in the Red Sea.
This marked an official declaration by the Yemeni group that it was re-entering the war against Israel in support of the so-called Axis of Resistance, vowing to escalate operations until Israel stops targeting Palestine, Lebanon and Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, said on Monday a new “security belt” of the “Axis of Resistance” would extend from the Strait of Hormuz to Bab al-Mandab and from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea.
Qaani praised recent actions by Yemen and described them as evidence of growing coordination among groups aligned with Iran. He said the “Resistance Front” would respond collectively to Israeli and US actions in the region and suggested additional groups could become involved if necessary.
“From the Strait of Hormuz to Bab al-Mandab and from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, a new security belt of the Resistance will be established,” he said, while warning that continued aggression would be met with a broader regional response.
Iran also threatened last week that if Israel continued the war, it would escalate the situation by closing the Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital maritime chokepoint at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, bordering south-east Yemen.
Ansar Allah, who have already targeted Israeli, US and UK-affiliated ships in the Red Sea, are the ones capable of enforcing the closure of the Bab al-Mandab strait.
While some Yemenis believe re-entering the war is a step in the right direction to support their brothers fighting their "primary enemy", Israel, others fear the consequences.
For them, this escalation carries terrifying echoes of the past, specifically the severe Israeli air strikes that previously targeted Houthi-controlled areas and the leadership in Sanaa.
‘Honourable stance’
Ahmed Al-Faqeeh, a 48-year-old Sanaa resident, believes that Muslims are living through a difficult time and must put aside their disputes to unite against Israel, which has been killing his coreligionists in Palestine, Lebanon and Iran.
“As a Yemeni, I’m proud of this step by Ansar Allah, who didn’t leave our brothers in Palestine, Lebanon and Iran behind, but have been doing their best to participate in this battle of honour,” Al-Faqeeh told Middle East Eye.
Al-Faqeeh, who works as a food distributor, has no political affiliation and does not support the Houthis or any other faction. However, he stated that when he sees what is happening in Palestine, he believes that “all Muslims have a role in this war”.
“It isn’t in accordance with Islam or humanity to see our brothers being subjected to genocide and remain silent,” he added.
“All Muslim countries have a duty and must participate in this fight against the primary enemy of Muslims, Israel.”
Al-Faqeeh added that he has taken action at an individual level, by stopping buying commodities made by Israeli-affiliated companies. This, he said, is his personal duty and he is happy his country is doing its part.
He still remembers the August 2025 Israeli air strikes in Sanaa that came as a consequence of Yemen's previous intervention to oppose Israel genocidal war in Gaza. While several ministers, including the premier, and civilians were killed in those strikes, he believes that should not deter Ansar Allah from further involvement.
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“The intervention by Ansar Allah in 2023 made a real impact, which caused Israel to frantically target everywhere. We are happy and proud of that development, which wasn’t matched by other countries that are only watching the genocide and keeping silent,” he said.
The Houthis targeted several Israeli-affiliated ships in 2023 and seized the vessel Galaxy Leader, along with its 25-member crew. In January 2025, the crew was released following Omani-led mediation.
Al-Faqeeh noted that Israel is resentful of Yemen because of its historically “honourable stance” against it.
“If Israel could eliminate the Yemeni leadership in a single day, it would, because Yemen has stood against Israel since the 1973 war.”
During the October 1973 War, Egypt and the then People's Democratic Republic of Yemen - a state that existed in what is now southeast Yemen - collaborated to impose a naval blockade on Israel in the Red Sea. The blockade specifically aimed to prevent oil tankers and other cargo ships from reaching Israel's southern port of Eilat through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
‘Cannot afford’ more war
Al-Faqeeh’s stance, however, is not shared by many Yemenis, who believe they have had their share of war-induced suffering.
A civil war broke out in Yemen in March 2015 between Ansar Allah and the internationally recognised government, which was backed by a Saudi-led coalition. Ansar Allah took over most of the northern governorates and advanced toward the south.
Since then, clashes have erupted periodically in conflict zones across several governorates. As a result, many residential areas have become conflict zones, numerous main roads remain closed and more than 4.5 million Yemenis are displaced. The conflict has killed an estimated 377,000 people though direct and indirect causes.
Ahmed Daghez, a 39-year-old bus driver who works between Sanaa and Taiz, feels the impact of the conflict on his daily life.
Travelling between areas controlled by the Houthis and the internationally recognised government, he sees firsthand how much people are suffering, particularly the residents of damaged homes situated along the frontlines.
“Eleven years of internal war is more than enough. The damage that has already occurred will take decades to rebuild, so we don't need to be involved in a regional war that could have an even worse impact on us,” Daghez told MEE.
Daghez used to live in his father’s home in Taiz city, but it is now located in a conflict zone and remains inaccessible.
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“I don’t blame either side for the damage to our home or our inability to access it; it is the war itself that led to all this hardship, depriving us of our homes and causing us to lose loved ones,” he added.
“Wars bring nothing good; it is simply a source of misery.”
Daghez was in Sanaa when the Israeli air strikes targeted Yemen, and he vividly remembers the terrifying moments of the explosions.
“Israel committed genocide in Gaza, and we are terrified they will commit similar crimes in Yemen. Last time, they bombed everywhere, and even some ministers were killed, so that was not a small loss.”
He emphasised that he does not take sides between the Houthis and the government, but rather sympathises deeply with the Yemeni population.
“If the Houthis escalate further in this war, they could drag Yemen into a regional conflict that the country simply cannot afford.”
Iran’s hands
Some Yemenis believe that Ansar Allah are the "arms of Iran" and were pushed into re-entering the war following recent Iranian threats to close the Bab al-Mandab strait.
Critics argue that the Houthis prioritise Iran's agenda over Yemen's national interests.
“As a Yemeni, I don’t feel the Houthis care about us; they only care about their own interests. Iran helped them seize control of northern Yemen, and now they must serve Iranian interests,” Mohammed Ali, a seasoned journalist, told MEE.
“The decision-making power is not in the Houthis' hands, but in Iran's. This was clearly reflected in the recent threats made by Iran,” he added, referring to the IRGC threat to close the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The strait has acted as a crucial relief valve for the global energy market as oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have plunged during the conflict involving Iran.
With Iran currently pausing its strikes on Israel but threatening to resume them if Lebanon is attacked, Ali believes the Houthis will mirror Tehran's stance and temporarily halt their targeting of Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea.
“Following Iran's lead, I think the Houthis will announce a halt to their Red Sea attacks. They launched these latest strikes at the last minute just before a pause, precisely to send a message to the world that they are Iran's enforcement arm in the Red Sea,” Ali said.
However, although Iran's announcement that it was halting its operation against Israel came on Monday morning, the Houthis continued to fire at Israel overnight. The Israeli army said late on Monday it intercepted a “suspicious aerial target coming from Yemen” over the Eilat region in southern Israel.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said on Monday afternoon a ballistic missile launched from Yemen landed in an unpopulated area near the Saudi-Yemeni border. The Saudi defence ministry said the missile was heading towards a country in the region before it came down near the border.
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