Israel vows to act with force against Iran-backed Houthis

Israel's prime minister says his country will take forceful action against Yemen's Houthi rebels just as it did to other militant groups backed by Iran.

"As we acted with force against the terrorist arms of Iran's axis of evil, so we will act against the Houthis," Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting of the Security Cabinet in the northern Command of the army on Sunday.

"Only in this case, we are not acting alone. The United States, as well as other countries, see the Houthis as a threat not only to international shipping, but to the international order. Therefore, we will act with force, determination, and sophistication," the Israeli prime minister added. "I tell you, even if it takes time, the result will be the same result – as with the other terrorist groups."

The United States launched airstrikes against Houthi positions in the Yemeni capital Sana'a on Saturday, hours after the Tehran-aligned rebels fired a missile hitting a civilian area in Israel.

The Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of Yemen, launched a blockade of the Red Sea in November last year on the orders of Iran's Supreme Leader, following the outbreak of the Gaza war, in allegiance with Hamas.

While they originally set out to target Israeli-linked vessels in a bid to force a ceasefire, it has since spanned global commercial shipping, with multiple vessels hit in strikes and dozens of international seamen taken hostage.