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The Houthis on Saturday took credit for launching a ballistic missile at Israel, opening a new front in the war U.S. President Donald Trump illegally started with Iran nearly one month ago.
As reported by Axios, the attack by the Houthis signals that the Yemen-based militia is joining the conflict to aide Iran, which has been under aerial assault from the U.S. and Israel for the past four weeks.
Sparks argued that the Houthis’ decision to fire a missile at Israel signals that “the geographical spread of this conflict is expanding,” adding that “the Houthis have shown the ability to attack shipping in the Red Sea and the waters around the Arabian Peninsula.”
Sparks said that even though Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “have been projecting confidence” about having the war under control, “it’s not playing out that way… on the ground.”
Danny Citrinowicz, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, argued that the Houthis’ main value to Iran isn’t launching strikes on Israel, but their ability to increase economic pressure on the U.S.
Citrinowicz also outlined ways the Houthis could further drive up the global price of energy.
“This raises a key question: whether the Houthis will escalate further by targeting Saudi infrastructure and shipping lanes more directly, or whether they will preserve this capability as an additional lever of pressure as the conflict evolves,” he wrote. “With each passing day of the conflict, particularly in light of its expanding scope against Iran, the likelihood of this scenario materializing continues to grow. It is increasingly not a question of if, but when.”
Journalist Spencer Ackerman similarly pointed to the Houthis’ ability to cause economic havoc as the biggest concern about their entrance into the conflict.
“You thought it was bad when Iran throttled the Strait of Hormuz?” he asked rhetorically. “The Houthis have already proven they can keep the Red Sea closed despite a year of U.S. Navy skirmishing.”
Holding Trump accountable for his illegal war on Iran
The devastating American and Israeli attacks have killed hundreds of Iranians, and the death toll continues to rise.
As independent media, what we do next matters a lot. It’s up to us to report the truth, demand accountability, and reckon with the consequences of U.S. militarism at this cataclysmic historical moment.
Trump may be an authoritarian, but he is not entirely invulnerable, nor are the elected officials who have given him pass after pass. We cannot let him believe for a second longer that he can get away with something this wildly illegal or recklessly dangerous without accountability.
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