The Houthis sharply widened the regional risk calculus on Friday by warning that Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE would be treated as part of Israel if they intercept missiles launched by Iran, Yemen, or the wider “Resistance Axis.”
“We warn the Arab countries, especially Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, against intercepting the missiles coming from Iran and Yemen and the entire Resistance Axis against the Zionist entity. Any country that intercepts the Axis’s missiles will be treated as an inseparable part of the Zionist entity,” read a widely circulated statement attributed to Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Ansar Allah political bureau member.
The threat landed as the war that began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran entered its third week despite Foreign Minister Gideon Saar calling Israel as having effectively “won” the war while military operations continued. The campaign was still active on day 18 and had already produced more than 2,000 deaths across Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, and the Gulf.
Houthi’s Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in a video statement released late Thursday that his movement was ready to respond militarily to regional developments, adding that “all options at the military level are possible.”
Anadolu reported that he framed the group’s posture as support for Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, and holy sites, while urging Yemenis to stay on alert. A week earlier, the same outlet had reported Abdul-Malik declaring support for Iran against what he called “US-Israeli aggression” and saying the movement was ready for “all developments in this battle.”
That matters because Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE are not theoretical actors in this fight. The Middle East states had already participated in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones earlier in March, and open-source reporting now shows the Gulf air-defense burden is real and rising. Saudi authorities said they intercepted ballistic missiles and drones over the Eastern Province on Wednesday and Thursday, while UAE-linked reporting and other regional accounts also described active Emirati interception efforts this week.
There is also a clear continuity with prior Houthi behavior. In May 2025, even as President Donald Trump announced an immediate halt to US bombing of the Houthis after an Oman-mediated ceasefire, Houthi leaders insisted there would be “no turning back from supporting Gaza.”
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