Claim of Yemeni Houthis and 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq' Participation in Attack on a 'Vital Target' in Haifa, Israel

On Tuesday, July 3, the Yemeni Houthis claimed that in collaboration with groups known as the 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq', they conducted a joint military operation and attacked a 'vital target' in Haifa, Israel. According to Reuters, Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Houthi militants, stated in a televised announcement without specifying the target of the attack, that this military assault was carried out using missile launches. Proxy groups supported by the Islamic Republic have repeatedly claimed in recent months that they have conducted 'precise attacks' on the cities of Haifa and Eilat in Israel, but they have not provided any evidence or witnesses to support their claims. Israeli officials and the military have not confirmed these alleged attacks so far. The Houthis, supported by the Islamic Republic, have attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden several times since last fall, claiming that these attacks are in support of the people of Gaza. This is the first time the Houthis have acknowledged collaborating with other Islamic Republic-backed militia groups in Iraq to attack Israel. The Islamic Republic had previously threatened that if a war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, it would deploy 'all capacities' of its proxy groups, which it refers to as 'resistance groups', into this battle. The U.S. military destroyed a radar site of the Houthis supported by the Islamic Republic, and CENTCOM reported the destruction of seven drones and one ground control station of the Houthis. The Washington Post noted that for the Iranian government, high voter participation in elections is important for the stability and legitimacy of the regime. Iraqi militants targeted the port of Eilat in Israel; an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claimed that in the attack on a cargo ship on Monday, they used a 'new ballistic missile'.