Adding to the military presence in the Middle East, a U.S. Navy ship carrying 3,500 sailors and Marines has arrived in the region.
And Iran’s Houthi proxy group fired missiles at longtime enemy Israel, opening a new front in the war.
Here is the latest one.
What are the main headings?
US Deployment: The USS Tripoli carrying 3,500 sailors and Marines has arrived in the Middle East, US Central Command announced, as the Pentagon considers next steps. CNN reported earlier this month that a Marine Expeditionary Unit would be sent to the area. Such forces have traditionally been used for missions such as large-scale evacuations and amphibious operations requiring ship-to-shore movement, including raids and assaults.
Houthi rebels enter the war: The Houthi rebels, a Yemen-based militia supported by Iran, have invaded the escalating Middle East conflict and fired two missiles into Israel. The move has previously disrupted shipping lanes in the region and attacked ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza. The involvement raises concerns that it will further disrupt the global shipping industry, which has already been hit hard by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Strait Update: Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Islamabad’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post on X. Under the agreement, two ships would pass through the strait each day, he added.
Tehran Hit: Iranian state media reported heavy shelling across Tehran, including civilian areas, and explosions occurred in multiple areas of the capital on Saturday night. Parchin (a site linked to military activities) was reportedly one of the targeted areas.
Campus threats: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has announced it will target American and Israeli affiliated universities in the region in retaliation for recent attacks on Iranian higher education centers. The Revolutionary Guards said the institutions were now considered “legitimate targets until the two universities were attacked.”
Health worker deaths: Nine emergency workers were killed and seven others injured in five separate attacks in southern Lebanon on Saturday, making it one of the deadliest days for health workers this month, the World Health Organization said.
Fires and sirens in the Gulf: Early Sunday morning, Gulf states were once again under air raid warnings. Bahrain’s interior ministry sounded the alarm, calling on people to evacuate and “remain calm.” Kuwait News Agency reported that the Ministry of Defense was responding to what it called “hostile missile and drone attacks.” Authorities were battling a large fire after a drone strike hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, the Kuwaiti military said.
Attacks on Israel: The Israeli military says it is working to intercept missiles fired from Iran. Earlier, 11 people were injured and several buildings were damaged by falling debris from an intercepted missile in Eshtaol, central Israel, the country’s national emergency service said.
