"Yemen officially joins the fight against the US and Israel. Keep your ships away from our waters," Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Houthi armed forces in Yemen, announced on 22/6.

The announcement came hours after the US launched airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities in the early morning of 22/6 during Operation Night Hammer. The Israeli military then attacked dozens of Iranian targets, including missile launchers.

The Houthis are part of the Axis of Resistance, a group of armed factions backed by Iran to counter US and Israeli influence in the Middle East.

US and Israeli officials have not yet commented on the Houthi's declaration. The group warned the day before that it would resume attacks on US ships in the Red Sea if Washington participated in airstrikes on Tel Aviv.

Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Houthi forces in Yemen, on 20/5. Photo: AFP

Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Houthi forces in Yemen, on 20/5. Photo: AFP

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023, the Houthis have carried out several attacks on commercial vessels and warships in the Red Sea.

The campaign put significant pressure on the US as its warships were constantly within the Houthis' firing range. While the group has never hit a US warship, the Pentagon expressed concern in January that it was "only a matter of time" before a Houthi missile damaged one of their vessels.

The US and its allies responded with intense airstrikes to weaken the Yemeni group's military capabilities, but these proved ineffective. In early May, US President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced a ceasefire agreement with the Houthis. Under the agreement, Washington ceased its bombing campaign, and the Houthis agreed to stop attacking US warships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis' declaration of support for Iran against the US and Israel could further complicate the conflict in the Middle East. Other groups within the Axis of Resistance have not yet made similar declarations.

Duc Trung (Tehran Times, Al Jazeera)