London, UK, September 3,2025
the Israeli military has successfully intercepted two ballistic missiles from Yemen, bringing a tense showdown to the skies over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The attacks, which triggered air raid sirens across central Israel, followed a public vow of revenge from the Iran-backed Houthi militia after an Israeli airstrike killed their prime minister last week. The incident highlights the growing reach of the conflict and the ongoing threat posed by long-range Houthi strikes.
According to statements from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday, two separate missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen within a 10-hour period. The first missile, fired in the morning, was intercepted by the Arrow air defense system, with sirens blaring in the Tel Aviv area. The second, launched later in the day, activated alarms in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank before it was also successfully neutralized. While the attacks caused no injuries, they underscored the vulnerability of Israel’s most populous regions to long-range threats.
The launches are the Houthis’ first direct missile attacks to trigger sirens in Israel since an Israeli airstrike killed Houthi prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi and 11 other senior officials in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa last Thursday. In a defiant statement released shortly before the second launch, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed that the militia had fired two missiles at the Tel Aviv area as part of its “initial response to the Israeli aggression against our country.”
The Houthis, who have launched a series of drone and missile attacks against Israel since October 2023, have consistently stated that their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. However, analysts believe the latest missile attacks are a direct result of the Israeli strike on their senior leadership in Sanaa. The attacks demonstrate the Houthis’ expanding arsenal of long-range ballistic missiles, which can travel over 1,000 miles to reach Israeli territory.
Israel has responded to the Houthi aggression with its own strikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen, including the capital and the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. This back-and-forth escalation across a vast geographical distance raises international concerns about the expansion of the conflict. The UN and several regional powers have expressed alarm at the growing number of attacks, which threaten not only regional stability but also global shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The use of advanced missile defense systems like the Arrow, which is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles in the stratosphere, has become a key element of Israel’s defensive posture in a conflict that is increasingly being fought at a distance.
Headline Points
* Missiles Intercepted: The Israeli military has intercepted two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen, with air raid sirens activated in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
* Houthi Vow of Revenge: The attacks were launched by the Houthi militia and are believed to be an “initial response” to an Israeli strike that killed their prime minister last week.
* Advanced Defense: Israel’s Arrow missile defense system was used to successfully neutralize the incoming long-range threats.
* Escalating Conflict: The launches highlight the growing reach of the conflict and the continued threat posed by Houthi long-range missiles.
* No Casualties: There were no reported injuries or damage from the attacks.
