Home » Iran-Israel war: Houthis join fighting as shipping risks grow in Hormuz and the Red Sea

Iran-Israel war: Houthis join fighting as shipping risks grow in Hormuz and the Red Sea

written by Sathish Raman Source

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels said they launched a missile that Israel reported intercepting, widening the month-old Iran-Israel war. Pakistan said regional powers would meet to discuss ending the fighting as Iran questioned diplomacy. With U.S. Marines arriving, pressure is mounting over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.

International

-Sathish Raman

Time

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the month-old Middle East war on Saturday. The group claimed it launched a missile. Israel said the missile was intercepted. Pakistan said key regional states planned talks in Islamabad on Sunday. Iran voiced doubt about recent diplomatic moves. About 2,500 U.S. Marines also arrived in the region.

Iran-Israel war: Houthis join
Representative image

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels said they launched a missile that Israel reported intercepting, widening the month-old Iran-Israel war. Pakistan said regional powers would meet to discuss ending the fighting as Iran questioned diplomacy. With U.S. Marines arriving, pressure is mounting over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.

The conflict has strained energy and trade routes. It has affected oil, natural gas and fertiliser supplies. Air travel has also faced disruption. Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz has unsettled markets and prices. The United States and Israel kept striking Iran. Iran’s retaliatory attacks have hit Israel and Gulf Arab states.

Middle East war and Houthi missile claim raise shipping risks

Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said on Al-Masirah that the group fired missiles at "sensitive Israeli military sites in southern Israel.\" Israel did not confirm damage. The Houthis’ entry raised fears about renewed attacks near Bab el-Mandeb. Around 12% of global trade usually passes that Red Sea route. Any disruption could lift shipping costs further.

Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, warned about wider effects. \"If the Houthis increase attacks on commercial shipping, as they have in the past, it would further push up oil prices and destabilize all of maritime security,\" Ahmed Nagi said. Bab el-Mandeb links ships to the Suez Canal. It is vital for Red Sea traffic.

Saudi Arabia has been sending millions of barrels of crude oil daily through Bab el-Mandeb. That route has grown in importance as Hormuz was effectively closed. The Houthis attacked over 100 merchant vessels from November 2023 to January 2025. The group used missiles and drones, and sank two vessels. The Houthis said the attacks supported Palestinians in Gaza.

Middle East war diplomacy and Pakistan talks focus on de-escalation

Pakistan said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt would send top diplomats to Islamabad. The visitors were due Sunday for a two-day visit. Pakistan said the agenda included steps to lower tensions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Shehbaz Sharif and Masoud Pezeshkian discussed regional hostilities at length. Iran, however, questioned the value of recent diplomatic efforts.

Iranian state media said Abbas Araghchi told Türkiye’s foreign minister that Tehran remained sceptical. The report said Araghchi accused the United States of unreasonable demands. It also cited \"contradictory actions\" by Washington. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said the US gave Iran a 15-point action list. It included nuclear restrictions and reopening Hormuz.

Tehran rejected the list and offered a five-point proposal instead. The Iranian plan included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway. Iran agreed on Friday to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through Hormuz. The agreement followed a United Nations request. U.S. President Donald Trump has given Iran until April 6 to reopen the strait.

Middle East war troop movements and U.S. Marines increase regional force

US ships carrying about 2,500 Marines reached the region. The Marines were trained for amphibious landings. The arrival added to the largest US force there in over 20 years. At least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne were also ordered to the Middle East. They were trained to secure key positions and airfields in hostile territory.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US could meet goals without ground troops. Still, the fighting has caused US casualties. Two people briefed on the matter said more than two dozen U.S. troops were wounded. The injuries followed Iranian attacks on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The sources spoke anonymously as they lacked public authority.

The sources said Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at the base on Friday. The attack injured at least 15 troops, including five seriously. Prince Sultan Air Base lies about 96 kilometres, or 60 miles, from Riyadh. It faced two earlier attacks during the week, the sources said. One earlier strike wounded 14 US troops.

Middle East war strikes and death toll rise across several countries

Witnesses in Tehran reported heavy strikes late Saturday. Israel’s military said it targeted Iran’s naval weapons production facilities. Israel said it would finish targeting most Iranian military production assets within days. Iran then fired missiles toward Israel. Separately, Ukraine’s president visited Gulf nations. Ukraine has offered drone defence help during the conflict.

Officials said the war has killed over 3,000 people. Iranian authorities said more than 1,900 people died in the Islamic Republic. Israel reported 19 deaths. In Lebanon, officials said more than 1,100 people were killed since the war began. Iraq reported 80 security force deaths. Gulf states reported 20 deaths, plus four in the occupied West Bank.

Houthi involvement added another pressure point for maritime security. It also affected planning for US naval forces. The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in Croatia on Saturday for repairs. A move to the Red Sea could draw attacks. It could mirror strikes on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2024. It could also echo attacks on the USS Harry S. Truman in 2025.

The Houthis have held Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014. Saudi Arabia began a war against the group in 2015. The campaign supported Yemen’s exiled government. The sides now operate under an uneasy ceasefire. With strikes continuing and talks planned, key routes like Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb remain central to the crisis and its global impact.

With inputs from PTI

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written by Sathish Raman Source

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