DUBAI—The United Arab Emirates military said Monday it intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Abu Dhabi by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, just hours after Israel’s president began a historic visit to the Persian Gulf country.
The missile attack, which caused no injuries or major disruptions, was the Houthis’ third aerial assault on the U.A.E. in as many weeks, as Yemen’s civil war threatens to spill over into other parts of the region.
The Houthis have been battling a Saudi-led coalition that includes the U.A.E since 2015 after the rebels took control of Yemen’s capital, San’a. The Houthis have vowed to retaliate against a coalition offensive that has recently dealt the rebel group its first significant defeats in years.
The Houthis said they had carried out “a large-scale military operation deep inside the U.A.E.” and said they would disclose details later.
The Emirati Defense Ministry said fragments of the ballistic missile had fallen outside of populated areas, and authorities said it hadn’t caused air-traffic disruptions. The ministry said coalition forces responded by destroying a missile launcher in Yemen that allegedly fired the rocket.
The attack took place hours after Israeli President Isaac Herzog landed Sunday in Abu Dhabi. His visit is the first by a head of the Jewish state following its recognition by the U.A.E. under the Abraham Accords in 2020. Mr. Herzog’s duties are largely ceremonial, but the event was a reminder of the increasingly close relationship Israel and the U.A.E. have forged.
President Herzog met Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto leader of the U.A.E., at the presidential palace and was greeted with the Israeli national anthem and a 21-gun salute, according to video of the event.
The Israeli president called for more countries to join the Abraham Accords and condemned the Houthis’ previous attacks on Abu Dhabi. Israeli media said Mr. Herzog’s visit would continue as normal on Monday.
The U.S., Israel and Saudis have long accused Iran of providing the Houthis with the weaponry and know-how to target their neighbors and keep Tehran’s foes off balance. Iran has denied arming the Houthis, though it does voice support for their cause.
Mr. Herzog’s visit triggered angry responses among some Iranian hard-liners. “The presence of the Zionist regime in the Persian Gulf is unacceptable for the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said a Twitter account associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “Only fire can purify the devil’s footsteps in the Persian Gulf. Excellency Mohamed bin Zayed. We will provide it for you.”
Last week, the Emirati and U.S. forces said they jointly intercepted two ballistic missiles by Houthi rebels targeting Abu Dhabi. An attack on the U.A.E. in mid-January killed three people and injured six others.
The Saudi-led forces in recent days have also carried out numerous deadly airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory in northern Yemen.
Write to Benoit Faucon at [email protected] and Summer Said at [email protected]
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