(SeaPRwire) –   The Houthi movement, backed by the Iranian regime, launched two missiles at Israel on Saturday, opening a third front for the country as it continues its conflict with the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Houthis claimed to have targeted “sensitive Israeli military sites” using a “barrage of ballistic missiles.” According to YNET, the IDF reported that it intercepted both a ballistic and a cruise missile fired by the group on Saturday morning.

Nadwa Al-Dawsari, a Yemen expert and associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Digital that the conflict is now essentially about the Iranian regime’s survival. She noted that Houthi involvement, along with other members of the Axis, is managed by the IRGC-led Axis of Resistance Operations Room. Having already demonstrated their resilience against heavy U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, both Iran and the Houthis define “winning” as survival rather than a definitive military victory.

She further explained that the strategy aims to draw out the conflict and increase the associated costs. The Houthis are well-positioned for this due to their ability to open new pressure points and interfere with vital shipping lanes. If the escalation persists, they are likely to resume attacks in the Red Sea and may expand their pressure toward the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis were previously at war until the Biden administration reportedly pressured the Saudi government to halt its military operations. While Biden had removed the Houthis from the list of foreign terrorist organizations, the Trump administration quickly reinstated the designation during the early days of his second term.

Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, told Digital that the Houthis appear to be acting under significant pressure from Tehran. He suggested the attack was more symbolic than strategic, serving as part of Iran’s effort to strengthen its negotiating position with the U.S. by showing it has influence beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that while the Houthis do not control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, they can still interfere with Red Sea shipping. At the same time, they seem to view Iran as a failing power and are hesitant to commit too heavily to it.

The Houthis maintain a fanatically anti-American and anti-Israel ideology. The official slogan of the movement (Ansar Allah) is: “Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.”

The group currently controls most of northwestern Yemen, having ousted the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa, in 2015.

The Houthis joined the war alongside Hamas in mid-October 2023, following the terrorist group’s invasion of Israel that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans. In 2024, a Houthi drone strike killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

International relations expert Michael Szanto told Digital that Iran has been severely impacted by the U.S. and Israel, and that American forces will likely sever all supply routes between Iran and Yemen. This would leave Yemen without the necessary logistics for a sustained offensive against Israel, though they likely still possess significant stockpiles of drones and missiles.

He added that the Houthis are making a major strategic error by provoking Israel again, as Israel will seek to eliminate the threat in Yemen. He characterized the Houthis as a menace to the Saudis, the Emiratis, the U.S., and the international community.

Saturday’s strike took place just hours before a spokesperson for the group warned that their “fingers were on the trigger.”