Yemen's Houthi militia has entered the Iran war after launching strikes on Israel, marking a major escalation after weeks of sitting on the sidelines. Israel says the first missile fired from Yemen was intercepted over the occupied West Bank with no casualties, and the Houthis claim to have launched a second missile as well. Their entry into the conflict could widen the war, threaten global shipping routes, and pressure an already strained international economy.

Baraa Shiban of the Royal United Services Institute told DW that the Houthis' involvement represents a new phase in the conflict. "The question was when are they going to join the conflict not if they will join the conflict," he said. According to Shiban, Iran, facing limited military options against the US, has leaned heavily on economic warfare — and the Houthis' ability to disrupt major trade routes fits that strategy.

DW also spoke with Benjamin Schmitt, a former US State Department adviser on energy security. He said that if both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el‑Mandeb are blocked simultaneously, the world would face an "oil shock" possibly unlike anything ever seen.