The Houthis, whose involvement risks widening and prolonging the war that has entered its fifth week, say their operations will continue until “aggression” on all fronts ends.
Yemen joins Iran The Houthis fired missiles at Israel on Saturday, March 28, their first such attack since the Iran war began, while the Foreign Minister Marco Rubio He said the United States is expected to end military operations within a week.
The Houthis, whose involvement risks widening and prolonging the war that has entered its fifth week, said their operations will continue until “aggression” on all fronts ends. Israel said it intercepted a missile from Yemen.
War, launched by US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands of people and causing more severe disruptions to energy supplies, affecting the global economy and fueling fears of inflation.
The Houthis may target targets far from Yemen
The Houthi rebels said on Friday they were ready to act if what the group called an escalation against Iran and the “Axis of the Opposition” continued in the war.
The group has demonstrated the ability to target beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes near the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, as they did in support of Hamas in Gaza after October 7, 2023.
If the Houthi rebels open a new channel in the conflict, one obvious target will be the Bab al-Mandab Strait on the Yemeni coast, the main shipping port that controls sea traffic to the Suez Canal, after Iran effectively closed it. Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking on Friday before the Houthi attack, Rubio said Washington was “planned or ahead of schedule” and expected to conclude military operations in “weeks, not months.”
He also told the Group of Seven in France that European and Asian countries that benefit from trade through the Strait of Hormuz – a channel for a fifth of the supply of oil and natural gas – should contribute to efforts to find a free passage.
The war has caused tension between the United States and its traditional allies, who have been sitting on the sidelines. President Donald Trump said this lack of support had implications for NATO, the West’s most important alliance.
“We would always be there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don’t have to be, do we?” Trump told an investment conference in Miami on Friday. “Why would we be there for them if they weren’t there for us? They weren’t there for us.”
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has long been led by the United States, says an attack on one member is an attack on all, requiring mutual support.
Rubio said the U.S. could achieve its goals without ground troops but acknowledged that it was sending some to the region “to give the president more options and more room to adjust to emergencies, should they arise.”
Washington has sent two squadrons of thousands of Marines to the region, the first of which is due to the upcoming arrival of a large amphibious assault ship. The Pentagon is also expected to deploy thousands of elite airmen.
The deployment of these forces has raised concerns that the war could turn into a protracted ground war.
More strikes as Trump talks talks
Stock markets fell sharply on Friday, March 27, on fears that the conflict would continue, while Brent crude oil LCOc1 reached $112, up more than 50% since the war began.
In the United States, where Trump is at political risk of rising fuel prices, diesel in California averaged a record $7.17 a gallon, the American Automobile Association said.
Trump has appeared eager to end the unpopular war, emphasizing this week what he called productive talks with Iran aimed at reaching a diplomatic end to the conflict.
Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey have been relaying messages between the warring parties, although Tehran has repeatedly insisted that there have been no such talks with Washington.
Two people familiar with the backroom effort expressed doubt that direct talks would happen anytime soon.
On Thursday, Trump extended the deadline by 10 days for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on power stations and other energy infrastructure. While the attacks have been suspended, the United States and Israel have continued to attack Iran with bombs.
Iran fired a barrage of missiles into Israel overnight, killing one and causing several impacts in the Tel Aviv area from cluster bombs and intercepted missile debris.
An Iranian attack on an airbase in Saudi Arabia has wounded 12 US soldiers, two seriously, a US official told Reuters on Friday, as drones and missiles continued to pound the Gulf.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain reported missile attacks early Saturday, with five people injured and a fire reported after a missile was intercepted near Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port, one of the Gulf’s main deep-water ports.
At least five people were killed and seven wounded after the US and Israel attacked a residential area in the northwestern Iranian city of Zanjan, Iranian media reported early Saturday. The Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran was also hit, media reported. – Rappler.com
