The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen on Monday vowed to block Israeli shipping in the Red Sea.
“We declare a complete ban on enemy navigation in the Red Sea, and we consider any Zionist movements to be military targets for our forces,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Al Saree was quoted by the Emirati-based news outlet The National as saying in a televised statement made following a Houthi missile launch at Israel earlier in the morning.
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
He added that the terrorist group would “respond to escalation with escalation,” and that its operations would intensify “in line with the battle and in conjunction with the axis of jihad and resistance.”
Bloomberg quoted the group as saying on Monday in a statement that it had a right to “confront the American-Israeli aggression.”
“We declare a complete and total ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea,” the terrorist army said. “We consider all enemy movements to be legitimate military targets for our Armed Forces.”
Iran fired four missile barrages at Israel on Sunday night, shattering a fragile ceasefire that had been in place since April 8.
Some 10 ballistic missiles were fired at northern Israel over the course of an hour, beginning at 10 p.m. local time.
The Israel Defense Forces said the projectiles were intercepted or struck open areas, with no reports of damage.
The Magen David Adom emergency service said paramedics treated two people who were injured while rushing to protected spaces.
Following the attack, the Israel Defense Forces struck military targets in western and central Iran early Monday. Missiles were launched at Israel from Yemen and Iran later that morning, as the IDF reported strikes on targets at an Iranian petrochemical complex.
