Yemen’s Houthis say ‘fingers on the trigger’ as U.S.-Israeli war on Iran widens

Houthi supporters chant slogans against Israel and the United States during a rally, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Friday they were ready to intervene militarily if other countries joined the United States and Israel in their war against Iran, or if the Red Sea was used to launch attacks on the Islamic Republic.

“We confirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention” if any new alliances join Washington and Israel against Iran and its allies, or if the Red Sea is used for “hostile operations” against Iran, the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech.

Saree also said the Houthis were prepared to act if what he called the escalation against Iran and the “axis of resistance” continued, but did not say what form any intervention would take.

The warning raises the prospect of a broader regional confrontation, particularly given the Houthis’ ability to strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula.

Iran’s Shi’ite allies in Lebanon and Iraq have already joined the war in the region triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran. The Houthis had not until now announced any direct entry into the war, despite their military capabilities and geographic position overlooking the Red Sea.

In his speech, Saree also said the group would not allow the Red Sea to be used to carry out “hostile operations” against Iran or any Muslim country. He warned against any further tightening of what he described as “the blockade on Yemen.”

Saree called for an immediate halt to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and allied countries, including Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

After the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the war in Gaza, the Houthis began attacking international shipping in the Red Sea, saying they were acting in support of Palestinians.

The group also launched drones and missiles towards Israel, drawing retaliatory airstrikes from Israel and U.S. attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen.

The Houthis halted those attacks after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October 2025.