The already volatile situation in the Middle East escalated further as Yemen’s Houthi rebels warned the United States on Saturday that they would begin targeting American ships in the Red Sea if Washington joins Israel in military action against Iran. This comes despite a ceasefire agreement between the Houthis and the U.S. that was reached in May, under which both sides had agreed not to engage in hostilities against each other.
This new threat from the Houthis underscores the growing regionalization of the Israel-Iran conflict, which has now entered its ninth day with no signs of de-escalation. The Houthis have already been targeting ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea since late 2023, as a show of solidarity with Hamas following the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the military confrontation between Israel and Iran intensified, with major developments:
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Israel claimed a high-profile success, announcing the killing of Saeed Izadi, a senior commander of the Quds Force's Palestine Corps. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called the assassination a major intelligence and operational success, asserting that Izadi had directly financed and armed Hamas before the October 7 attacks.
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Iranian sources confirmed that five IRGC members were killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes on Khorramabad, but Iranian state media made no mention of Izadi.
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Explosions were reported in central Israel and the occupied West Bank early Saturday as Iranian missile attacks were intercepted over Tel Aviv. While there were no casualties, the sirens and explosions added to an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Israel had struck a centrifuge manufacturing facility in Isfahan, a key part of Iran's nuclear infrastructure. However, the IAEA noted that the site did not contain nuclear material at the time of the attack.
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Israel says its ongoing military campaign, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, is a response to Iran’s alleged imminent capability to produce nuclear weapons. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful.
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The casualty toll in Iran has risen to at least 430 dead and 3,500 injured, according to Iran's state media, while Israel reports 24 civilian deaths from Iranian missile strikes.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a cautious tone, stated that he would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. would join the conflict. “There’s still time to see whether people come to their senses,” he said. Trump also warned that Iran could be weeks or months away from developing a nuclear weapon, a claim that reinforces growing concerns in Washington and Tel Aviv.
The broader geopolitical implications are serious. A U.S. entry into the conflict would almost certainly widen it, possibly dragging in other regional actors and disrupting global shipping lanes in the Red Sea—a route critical for global trade. The Houthi threat to U.S. vessels directly challenges American interests and puts military and commercial assets at risk.
In summary, the Israel-Iran war is rapidly expanding into a multi-front regional crisis, drawing in actors like the Houthis and possibly the U.S., with global repercussions looming.
