'Israel' army reports war's first missile attack from Yemen

'Israel's' military, early on Saturday, March 28, reported a first missile launch from Yemen since the Middle East war began on February 28, after Iran's Houthi allies threatened to join the fighting.

A military statement said 'Israeli' forces had "identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward 'Israeli' territory, aerial defense systems are operating to intercept the threat."

It was the first such statement mentioning a launch from Yemen during the war with Iran, which has entered its second month. There were no reports of any casualties or damage in 'Israel', and media reports suggested the missile may have been intercepted.

Yemen's Houthi movement warned on Friday it would join the war if US-'Israeli' attacks continue to hit its ally Iran or if more countries join the conflict. The Houthi have in the past attacked shipping in the Red Sea in response to regional conflicts, but had so far not intervened in the latest war.

"We affirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention," the group said in a statement, warning that it would act if other nations joined the US-'Israeli' fight or if the Red Sea was used for "hostile operations."

Retaliatory strikes

'Israeli' authorities said an Iranian missile attack killed a man in Tel Aviv on Friday, March 27, as Tehran pressed its retaliatory strikes across the region a month into the war.

The 'Israeli' military said it had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel" in at least five rounds in just over five hours, triggering air defense systems and warning sirens late on Friday and early Saturday.y

The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical service said a man was killed in Tel Aviv in one of the attacks. Two other men, aged 65 and 50, were wounded in a separate incident in the city, and another two in the southern town of Kuseife, MDA said.

Images from Tel Aviv showed emergency responders at the scene of a missile impact, where the bombed-out entrance to a building was littered with debris. 

'Israeli' media said that one of the rounds of inbound attacks, which according to the army's Home Front Command triggered sirens in 'Israel's' north and parts of the annexed Golan Heights, was carried out simultaneously by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

Earlier Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would exact a "HEAVY price for Israeli crimes," after attacks major steel factories and nuclear sites.

Before the latest fatality was confirmed, emergency services and authorities had said attacks killed 18 on the 'Israeli' side since the start of the war on February 28. 

'Successful interceptions'

Meanwhile, UAE authorities said fires broke out early Saturday at an industrial zones following an incoming missile and drone attack from Iran, with no reports of casualties.

The United Arab Emirates' defense ministry said air defenses were responding to incoming cruise missiles and drones fired by Iran, as Tehran pressed strikes in the Gulf a month into the regional war.

The Abu Dhabi government media office said in a statement posted online that authorities were dealing with two fires in the area of the emirate's Khalifa Economic Zones.

The statement said the fires had broken out due to falling debris from a "successful interception" of a ballistic missile.