Houthi strikes widen Iran-U.S.-Israel war as Marines deploy to region

Summary

Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered what they described as a monthlong war in the Middle East on Saturday, saying they launched two missile volleys toward Israel, as witnesses reported heavy strikes in Tehran and air defenses intercepted missiles and drones early Sunday across Gulf countries.

The AP reported that the Houthi entry comes as Washington and its allies continue striking Iran amid fears the conflict could spread further through maritime choke points. The reported fighting has already threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, contributed to fertilizer shortages, and disrupted air travel.

A key concern raised in the reporting was shipping risk around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The Houthis’ involvement could “further hurt global shipping” if the group again targets vessels in the Red Sea route, the report said, where about 12% of the world’s trade typically passes.

Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree told the rebels’ Al-Masirah satellite television station that the group launched missiles toward “sensitive Israeli military sites” in the south. The AP said the group’s previous attacks on merchant shipping included striking more than 100 vessels with missiles and drones between November 2023 and January 2025, sinking two vessels, and it said the Houthis described those actions as solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.

The AP also reported that Israel’s military said it targeted Iran’s naval weapons production facilities and planned to keep finishing essential weapons production sites within “a few days,” while Iran fired missiles toward Israel and U.S. officials said they have struck more than 11,000 Iranian targets during the broader war.

In the U.S. military buildup described by the AP, about 2,500 Marines trained in amphibious landings arrived in the region, and at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division—trained to land in hostile territory—were ordered to the Middle East. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington “can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops,” according to the report.

The AP said the troop surge coincided with diplomacy attempts. Pakistan said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war, arriving Sunday for a two-day visit, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held “extensive discussions” on regional hostilities.

At the same time, the report said Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told his Turkish counterpart by phone that Tehran was skeptical about the latest diplomatic efforts. The AP said Iran’s state-run media reported Araghchi accused the U.S. of making “unreasonable demands” and exhibiting “contradictory actions,” and that Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar later urged “an end to all attacks and hostilities” in a call with Araghchi.

The AP said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff described a 15-point “action list” Washington delivered to Iran for a possible ceasefire, including a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restrict Iran’s nuclear program—an issue at the center of tensions with the United States and Israel. The AP reported that Tehran rejected that list and presented a five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway.

Summary

The AP said the conflict has also intersected with the Red Sea and Hormuz decisions. It reported that on Friday Iran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the strait following a United Nations request, and that Trump gave Iran until April 6 to reopen the strait.

The report also said U.S. ships with Marines trained for amphibious landings added to the largest American force in more than two decades in the region, and it raised concerns that Houthi involvement could complicate how the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford—arrived in Croatia on Saturday for maintenance—might be deployed. The AP said sending the ship to the Red Sea could draw attacks similar to those reported against the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2024 and the USS Harry S. Truman in 2025.

In parallel, the AP reported that Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base injured U.S. service members, citing two people briefed on the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. It said Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at the base Friday, injuring at least 15 troops, five seriously, and that the base was attacked twice earlier in the week, including a strike that wounded 14 U.S. troops.

The AP reported that more than two dozen U.S. troops have been wounded in Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base over the past week, that more than 300 U.S. service members have been wounded in the war, and that at least 13 have been reported killed.

On the wider toll, Iranian authorities said more than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. In Lebanon, where Israel has started an invasion in the south while targeting the Hezbollah militant group, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed in the country since the start of the war. The AP said in Iraq, Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict and 80 members of the security forces have died, while in Gulf states 20 people were reported killed and four were killed in the occupied West Bank.

As the military and diplomatic lanes moved at once, the AP reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Gulf nations on Saturday as Ukraine offers defense help with drones—an indication that regional defense partnerships could become more salient as the fighting widens.