A first responder assists an injured boy following a strike that hit a residential building amid the US-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Saturday (AP)
With no end in sight, Yemen’s Houthis, the newest entrant to the US-Israel initiated Iran war, carried out “second military operation” against Israel on Sunday, as part of the “Holy Jihad Battle”.“Forces carried out the second military operation in the ‘Holy Jihad Battle’ with a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting several vital and military sites belonging to the Zionist enemy in southern occupied Palestine. This operation coincided with the military operations being carried out by our mujahideen brothers in Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and, by the grace of Allah, it successfully achieved its objectives,” a statement by Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesperson read.
This came only a day after the Iran-backed group formally entered the regional conflict. In the statement, it said it had conducted its first military strike on Israeli military targets using a barrage of ballistic missiles, adding that the attack was coordinated with allied forces in Iran and Lebanon.Their involvement signals a broadening of the conflict beyond direct confrontation between Iran, the United States, and Israel, raising fears of a multi-front war stretching across the Middle East. The Houthis have vowed to continue operations until what they describe as “aggression” on all fronts ends, suggesting sustained escalation rather than a one-off intervention.At the same time, the States is reinforcing its military presence in the region. Thousands of Marines have already begun arriving, with additional deployments expected, including troops from the 82nd Airborne Division. While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington hopes to conclude operations within weeks and could achieve its objectives without a ground war, the buildup is designed to give maximum strategic flexibility—underscoring the uncertainty of how the conflict may evolve.Diplomatic efforts appear to be struggling to keep pace with the military developments. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has engaged in regional outreach, including talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while Islamabad is set to host discussions with Turkish and Saudi foreign ministers aimed at easing tensions. However, there is little indication of an imminent breakthrough.The war, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, has already spread across the region, causing heavy casualties and severely disrupting global energy supplies.
