The Houthis in Yemen and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have both claimed that their forces carried out joint drone attacks against vessels in the Israeli port of Haifa, which sits on the Mediterranean Sea.
This would mark the first ever joint operation between the two groups; however, there have been no indications of alerts or strikes in the area.
Likewise, IDF spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner has denied the claims of an attack to the Jerusalem Post.
Houthi Statement
In a statement, the Houthis announced that “The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out two joint military operations with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance. The first targeted two ships carrying military equipment in the port of Haifa.”
“While the second targeted a ship that violated the decision to ban entry to the port of Haifa in occupied Palestine. The two operations were carried out with a number of UAVs, and the strikes, with Allah’s help, were accurate.”
“The joint operation on Haifa port comes in response to the massacres of the Israeli enemy in the Rafah area, and the Israeli enemy shall expect more specific joint operations during the next period of time, until its brutal and criminal aggression stops and its siege against our people in the Gaza Strip is lifted,” the statement concluded.
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Islamic Resistance Statement
In a statement, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said, “In continuation of our approach to resisting the occupation, in support of our people in Palestine, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq carried out two joint military operations with the Yemeni armed forces in the port of Haifa, using drones. The Islamic Resistance confirms that operations are continuing to destroy enemy strongholds at a rapid pace.”
Previous Warning
On May 3, the Houthis announced that they would be implementing their “fourth stage of escalation,” which includes “the targeting of all ships that violate the ban decision of Israeli navigation and that are heading to the ports of occupied Palestine from the Mediterranean Sea in any reachable area within our ample zone.”
The statement went on to warn that “If the Israeli enemy intends to launch an aggressive military operation against Rafah, the Yemeni Armed forces will impose comprehensive sanctions on all ships and companies that are related to supplying and entering the occupied Palestinian ports of any nationality and will prevent all ships of these companies from passing through the armed forces’ operation zone, regardless of their destination.”
So What
Coordination between the Houthis and the Islamic Resistance, an umbrella organization of Iran-backed Shia militias, would mark a major escalation in the conflict, but limitations in the groups’ ability to effectively and successfully strike targets in Israel suggest that the cooperation is largely symbolic.
For the past several months, both the Houthis and the Islamic Resistance have frequently launched drones or missiles towards Israel, mainly the southern port of Eilat. However, the majority were either intercepted or failed to reach their target. Those that did have successful impacts resulted in minor damage.
The Islamic Resistance has previously attempted to target Haifa with drones, but they were also intercepted. Houthi attempts to strike the Mediterranean port would require drones to travel some 2,000km and cross over central parts of Israel, making interception likely.
Despite the claims of an attack, there is currently no indication that strikes took place in Haifa. If drones were launched, they did not reach their target.