Missile fired from Yemen as Israel and US target Iran
Israel reported detecting a missile fired from Yemen, the first since the Iran war began. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. expects to conclude military operations within weeks, not months, as Israel and the US continue to target Iran.
In October-November 2024, Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, fired ballistic missiles toward Israel, including one aimed at Tel Aviv that was intercepted by Israeli air defenses. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed downing the missile with no reported injuries or damage. This occurred amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, which had shifted from proxy conflicts to direct exchanges of strikes earlier in 2024. The Houthis claimed their missile carried a cluster bomb warhead and targeted sensitive sites in Tel Aviv, though the IDF did not verify this claim.
During this period, Iran launched approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in October 2024 following Israel's killing of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Israel responded with its largest direct attack on Iran, targeting air defense systems and missile production facilities. This marked a significant escalation in the long-standing conflict between the two nations, with direct military engagements occurring in April, July, and October 2024.
Regarding U.S. involvement, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was mentioned in the initial summary, no verified statements from Rubio in October or November 2024 indicate that the U.S. planned to conclude military operations against Iran within weeks rather than months. U.S. involvement during this period remained primarily defensive, focusing on intercepting Iranian attacks rather than committing to offensive strikes against Iran.
The conflict continued to escalate beyond 2024, with major joint U.S.-Israel operations intensifying in June 2025 during what became known as the '12-Day War,' where Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites, and the U.S. conducted 'Operation Midnight Hammer' against nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Further escalations occurred in February 2026 with additional U.S.-Israeli operations against Iranian targets. Philippine news sources examined (GMA, ABS-CBN, Inquirer, Philstar) did not provide specific coverage of these Yemen missile incidents or the Israel-Iran conflict during October-November 2024, focusing instead on domestic Philippine issues during that period.
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