Sirens in Jerusalem: Israel Downs Missile Launched by Iran-Backed Houthis
Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile at Israel, triggering sirens in Jerusalem and central areas, but the IDF intercepted it, following strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Israel’s Defense Minister vowed severe retaliation, signaling intensified efforts to counter the Iran-backed group’s attacks.
Earlier today, sirens blared across Jerusalem and central Israel as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile toward the country, hours after Israeli forces struck Houthi targets in Yemen. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) quickly activated aerial defense systems, urging the public to “follow the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines.” The missile was successfully intercepted, with no reported injuries, though residents of Modiin Illit reported fragments from an interceptor missile falling in the city.
Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning, stating, “The Houthis will pay compound interest for every attempt to fire at Israel. We are imposing an air and naval blockade that hurts them greatly, and this morning we struck infrastructure and energy targets. This is only the beginning. The continuation will be strong and painful. Whoever raises a hand against Israel, his hand will be cut off.” The IDF’s earlier strikes targeted an energy infrastructure site 2,000 kilometers away in Yemen’s Hodeida port, a key hub for the Houthi terrorist regime. Katz emphasized, “The IDF has now struck terror targets of the Houthi terror regime at the Port of Hodeida and is forcefully attacking every attempt to restore terror infrastructures that were attacked in the past. As I clarified, Yemen is like Tehran. The Houthis will pay heavy prices for firing missiles toward the State of Israel.”
This incident marks the 14th Israeli strike on Yemen since the onset of the war, responding to over 70 missiles and 20 drones launched by the Houthis at Israel in recent months. The Houthis, aligned with Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” have intensified attacks since November 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict. Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system, occasionally supported by the U.S.-deployed THAAD system, has intercepted most Houthi projectiles, though a July 2024 attack killed one civilian in Tel Aviv. The ongoing exchanges highlight escalating regional tensions, exacerbated by the June 2025 Israel-Iran air war.