Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for two missile attacks on Israel as the war in the Middle East marks its one-month anniversary.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, issued statements on Saturday on the rebel group’s Al-Masirah satellite television network. He said the Houthis launched two missile attacks within hours of each other.
Israel said it intercepted the first missile. It did not immediately comment on whether it intercepted any projectiles from Yemen in the second attack.
The attacks came after Saree signaled in a vague statement Friday that the rebels would join the war.
It is the first time Israel has faced fire from Yemen since the start of the conflict last month. Houthi attacks on vessels during the Israel-Hamas war upended .
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will attend talks in Islamabad on Sunday aimed at ending the war, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said.
Here is the latest:
Explosions rock Irbil as attacks target US sites
Interceptions and drone activity were heard for hours overnight Saturday across Irbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, including drones shot down while attempting to target the U.S. consulate and nearby bases.
AP journalists in the area reported non-stop loud explosions and saw at least one drone headed toward American facilities, in one of the most intense days of attacks since the war began.
Iran-aligned militias in Iraq have stepped up repeated drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases, including in Irbil.
In a statement on Saturday, the U.S. condemned what it called “despicable terrorist attacks” by Iran’s militant groups, saying the strikes on Kurdish regional President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Irbil earlier that day were “a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, stability and unity.” The attack caused material damage but no casualties, and the residence was empty at the time.
Israeli strikes kill 17 in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese health ministry said a strike Saturday evening on Hanniyeh town in Tyre province killed seven people, six Syrians, including a child, and one Lebanese person, and wounded nine others.
In Nabatiyeh province, a strike on Deir al-Zahrani killed seven people and wounded eight, while a separate strike on Kfartabnit killed three and wounded four, the health ministry said.
Houthis say they launched second missile attack on Israel
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for Yemen’s Houthis, issued the claim in a prerecorded statement aired by the group’s Al-Masirah satellite television.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels targeted multiple sites in southern Israel to coincide with attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, Saree said, without identifying the locations.
The launch came hours after the Houthis’ first missile attack against Israel in the war began a month ago.
Israel said it intercepted the first missile. It did not immediately comment on whether it intercepted any projectiles from Yemen in the second attack.
"We have been prepared for the Houthis to join this from the beginning,” Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said.
Heavy strikes reported across Tehran
Witnesses said the strikes were almost continuous for two hours.
The Israeli military said it had completed a “wave of strikes” across Tehran, targeting government infrastructure.
Pakistan’s foreign minister speaks with Iranian counterpart, urges de-escalation
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi late Saturday, urging “an end to all attacks and hostilities” in the region.
The call came ahead of a meeting in Islamabad of top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dar told Araghchi that Pakistan remains committed to supporting efforts aimed at restoring regional peace and stability.
Israel approves plan to combat rise in settler violence in West Bank
The Israeli cabinet has approved a decision to combat settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to an official familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media.
The Prime Minister’s Office directive calls for prohibiting the establishment of any new settler outposts in the West Bank’s Area B, which is under both Israeli military and Palestinian Authority jurisdiction, and immediately dismantling and levying sanctions against any settlers who attempt to establish new outposts.
The decision comes after 25 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, the majority by settlers, this year, according to the United Nations. The attacks, including arsons, shootings and beatings, have intensified as attention shifts to the Iran war.
The Israeli military said it would be moving additional troops to the West Bank to implement the decision.
Iran will allow more Pakistani ships through Strait of Hormuz
Pakistan’s foreign minister said late Saturday that Iran has agreed to allow 20 additional Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ishaq Dar wrote on X that two Pakistani ships would cross the strategic waterway daily under the arrangement.
“This is a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran and deserves appreciation,” Dar said. “It is a harbinger of peace and will help usher stability in the region.”
He said the move marked a meaningful step toward de-escalation and would strengthen efforts for peace.
Israeli military says it will ‘complete’ attacks against Iran’s essential weapons production facilities
Israel’s military has struck more than 1,000 sites involved in weapons production.
“This means we will have destroyed the majority of their military abilities, and it will take the regime a long time to rehabilitate them,” military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. “They wanted to launch hundreds of missiles toward Israel, and they’towardng difficulty realizing that goal, and they are launching much fewer,” he added.
He added that on Friday, Israel attacked two major factories, including a uranium factory and a heavy water factory that are part of Iran’s nuclear weapons development. Iran has acknowledged attacks on the factories. At least one person was killed and 15 injured in a strike on a steel production factory in Isfahan, according to Iranian state media.
UAE’s aluminum conglomerate reports ‘significant damage’ at an Abu Dhabi site
The UAE’s state-owned aluminum conglomerate, Emirates Global Aluminum, says a number of employees were injured in the Iranian missile and drone attack Saturday in Al Taweelah.
“We are deeply saddened and are assessing the damage to our facilities,” said CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban.
Emirates Global Aluminum says the site produced 1.6 million metric tonnes (1.76 million tons) of aluminum in 2025, or roughly 4% of global production.
9 paramedics in Lebanon killed in Israeli strikes, health minister says
Those deaths on Saturday raised the death toll among health care workers in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war to 51. Nine hospitals have been subjected to attacks and five closed as a result, Lebanon’s Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attacks on health care, saying they “are severely disrupting the delivery of services in southern Lebanon.”
This has been the second-deadliest month for health care workers in Lebanon since the U.N. agency began monitoring attacks on health care in the country in October 2023, he said.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of using medical facilities and ambulances for military purposes, without giving evidence.
Egyptian foreign minister arrives in Pakistan’s capital
Badr Abdelatty will take part in talks with his counterparts from Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia on the war in the Middle East.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the Egyptian foreign minister will hold consultations on regional developments and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Israeli military spokesman says Israel has significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear program
But Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin declined to comment on uranium that he said is underground.
“There will be no nuclear weapons for Iran,” he added.
When asked about the Houthis, Defrin said Israel was preparing for a multifront war.
“We will know how to defend Israeli civilians. … We act, we don’t talk,” he said, adding: “Anyone who threatens Israeli civilians, we will strike them.”
Magnitude wins Dubai Gold Cup
Magnitude beat race favorite Forever Young to win the Dubai Gold Cup in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday in the first major outdoors sporting event since the Iran war began.
The 4-year-old American horse, ridden by Jose Ortiz and trained by Steven Asmussen, successfully resisted a determined effort from Japan’s Forever Young with Ryusei Sakai on board, to win the almost $7 million prize.
Meydaan was third, followed by Imperial Emperor, both Irish horses.
Reza Pahlavi tells US conservatives he’s ready to lead transition
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince told a gathering of U.S. conservatives on Saturday that he’s ready to lead a transition away from the Islamic Republic and said when the “right moment arrives” he will call on the people of Iran to rise up.
Pahlavi spoke for nearly 30 minutes at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Dallas where he was interrupted several times by applause and cheers.
He praised President Donald Trump for initiating the military action against Iran’s current government.
The biggest crowd reactions came when he asked the crowd if they could envision Iran turning into a friend and ally of the United States.
“Can you imagine Iran going from death to America to God bless America?” he said.
Later, the crowd erupted again when he added: “President Trump is making America great again. I intend to make Iran great again.”
Hezbollah launches 250 projectiles at Israeli soldiers, official says
Hezbollah has launched some 250 projectiles from Lebanon in the past 24 hours, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.
The official said most of the projectiles were aimed at Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon and only 23 crossed the border into Israel. Northern Israel has still experienced constant sirens warning of projectiles from both Hezbollah and Iran.
The Israeli military said at least nine soldiers were injured, two severely, from Hezbollah rockets on Friday and Saturday.
-By Melanie Lidman
Israeli fire kills 3 Palestinians in Gaza, hospital officials say
An Israeli airstrike killed one Palestinian in southern Gaza on Saturday, according to a health official at Nasser hospital, where the body arrived. Earlier Saturday, another Israeli strike killed two Palestinians in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Gaza Strip has seen near-daily Israeli fire and strikes since a fragile ceasefire was reached in October, and nearly 692 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel and Hamas have traded accusations of violating the ceasefire.
Home of Iraqi Kurdish region’s president targeted in drone attack
The residence of Nechirvan Barzani, president of the semiautonomous northern Kurdish region of Iraq, in the city of Duhok was targeted Saturday, causing damage but no casualties, an official with the regional government told The Associated Press.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the residence was empty at the time.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the attack in a phone call with Barzani, calling it a “heinous” act, according to a statement from his office.
Al-Sudani said a joint security and technical team from federal authorities and the northern Kurdish region’s government would investigate and take legal measures against those responsible.
Qubad Talabani, deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdish region, said that armed groups operating outside state control pose a growing threat to stability in the country.
- By Stella Martany
Death toll in Lebanon reaches 1,189 since Israel-Hezbollah war began
The Health Ministry in Beirut said Saturday that 47 people were killed and 112 wounded over the past 24 hours.
The ministry says 1,189 have been killed and 3,427 wounded since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2.
Israel strikes weapons facilities across Tehran
The Israeli military said it carried out widespread strikes overnight against Tehran, using more than 50 fighter jets to target weapons production infrastructure.
The military said the main target of the strikes was Iran’s naval weapons production facilities. Iran did not immediately acknowledge any strikes on its marine or naval programs.
Qatar reports drones interception for the first time in days
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted a number of drones fired from Iran, the first attack the Gulf state reports in over a week.
Qatar sounded the alarms to warn citizens against incoming fire on Friday but did not report any attacks following the alarms, according to an AP journalist.
First Marine expeditionary unit arrives in the Middle East
A Navy ship carrying around 2,500 Marines has arrived in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command announced Saturday.
The USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, as well as the elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit that are aboard, are based in Japan. They were conducting exercises in the area around Taiwan when it was ordered to the Middle East almost two weeks ago.
U.S. Central Command said that in addition to the Marines, the Tripoli also brings transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault assets to the region.
The USS Boxer and two other ships, along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit, have also been ordered to the region from San Diego.
11 injured in missile attack in central Israel
Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom now says 11 people were lightly wounded in the attack in Eshtaol, near Jerusalem. Some were injured from the impact of the explosion and others hurt while running to shelters.
Among the wounded were a 75-year-old man whose roof collapsed and a 47-year-old whose doorway was blown off, medics said.
Ukraine wants to build long-term ties with Middle Eastern countries, Zelenskyy says
That includes joint production, cooperation in the energy sector, investment and sharing battlefield experience, Ukraine’s president said. He spoke with journalists via Zoom during an official visit in Qatar, the latest in his tour in the region.
“Simple sales do not interest us,” Zelenskyy said. “We want systemic relationships, where exporters earn revenue and Ukraine receives sufficient funds to invest in domestic production.”
Zelenskyy said Kyiv has already signed a security-related 10-year agreement with Saudi Arabia and a 10-year deal with Qatar, with a similar agreement with the United Arab Emirates expected in the coming days.
Houthis could increase barriers to shipping, experts warn
Experts warn that the Iran-backed Houthis have the potential to create a disastrous economic shock around the world.
If the Houthis ramp up their role in this conflict by targeting vessels in the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea, it would not only further push up oil prices but destabilize “all of maritime security,” said Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, a research institution. “The impact would not be limited to the energy market.”
As Iran strangles the Strait of Hormuz, countries have scrambled for alternative routes. Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is particularly crucial as it controls traffic for vessels heading to the Suez Canal through the Red Sea. To get around the Strait of Hormuz closure, Saudi Arabia is sending millions of barrels of crude oil a day through the chokepoint.
About 12% of the world’s trade typically passes through that waterway, including oil, natural gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics.
Israeli military reports injuries to soldiers in southern Lebanon
The military said nine soldiers were injured in two different attacks in southern Lebanon.
Two officers were severely injured, the military said in a statement, adding that they occurred during anti-tank missile fire and a rocket launched toward Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the total number of soldiers wounded since the war began.
Iran claims it struck Ukraine-related drone warehouse in Dubai
Iran’s military joint command made the claim in a statement run by state media, without offering evidence.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said over 20 Ukrainians were in the warehouse in the United Arab Emirates and their fate was unknown.
In a news briefing, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi, however, called the Iranian allegations a “lie,” according to Ukraine’s public broadcaster.
The claim came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the Gulf region for talks with leaders of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar.
Houthis pose risk to second global trade route
The Houthis have so far refrained from attacking shipping routes in the Red Sea, a move -- which if it happened -- would further disrupt the shipping industry and the global economy.
Any Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait would disrupt traffic through the Suez Canal, a crucial waterway for vessels bearing oil, gas and sundry goods to the Mediterranean Sea.
About 10% of global maritime trade — including 40% of container ship traffic — chugs through the canal each year.
Any disruption would mean vessels having to reroute around the southern tip of Africa, adding to insurance costs and delays in cargo deliveries. It would also potentially disrupt Saudi oil export to Asia through the Saudi Yanbu pot on the Red Sea.
Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, , between November 2023 and January 2025.
Israel says it targeted a journalist killed in Lebanon
One of two journalists killed in a strike on southern Lebanon on Saturday was targeted for being a suspected Hezbollah intelligence operative, the Israeli military said, without providing evidence.
Israel’s statement about Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shoeib mirrored past Israeli military allegations against Palestinian journalists targeted during the war on Hamas.
The Israeli army claimed that Shoeib, a prominent Lebanese war correspondent, was “operating systematically to expose the locations of (Israeli) soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.” The army also accused him of maintaining contact with Hezbollah militants and inciting against Israeli troops and civilians, without elaborating.
Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV said its reporter Fatima Ftouni was killed in the same airstrike, along with Shoeib. The Israeli military did not mention her in its statement.
Al-Manar TV did not respond to the Israeli allegations, but reported on his killing in an airstrike and describing him as “distinguished by his professional and credible reporting of events.”
Iran is skeptical about diplomatic efforts to stop the war — Araghchi
Iran is skeptical about recent diplomatic efforts to stop the war in the Middle East, its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Turkish counterpart in a phone call Saturday.
According to a readout of the call on Iranian state-run media, Araghchi accused the U.S. of making “unreasonable demands” and exhibiting “contradictory actions” that raised doubts about the prospect of an agreement.
Recent U.S. moves, he said, have been “increased pessimism” on the Iranian side, without specifying which actions.
The Iranian readout said Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan assured Araghchi that “Iran’s pessimism toward the other side is understandable because Iran has twice been subjected to attack and military aggression in the midst of negotiations.”
UAE reports dozens of attacks, 6 injured
The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems responded to 20 ballistic missile and 37 drone attacks on Saturday.
The attacks wounded six people in an industrial zone in the capital, Abu Dhabi, where three fires were reported, authorities said.
The UAE’s Defense Ministry has reported 413 missile and 1,872 drone attacks since the start of the war. The attacks have killed 10 people, including two troops, and wounded 178 others, the ministry said.
Two journalists killed in Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon
Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV said that its correspondent Ali Shoeib was killed Saturday in southern Lebanon, while Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV said its reporter Fatima Ftouni was killed in the same airstrike.
Shoeib was well-known war correspondent in the country where he had covered south Lebanon for Al-Manar for nearly three decades.
Ftouni had made a live report from southern Lebanon just before the strike in Jezzine region.
The strike came days after an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in central Beirut killed Mohammed Sherri, the head of political programs at Al-Manar TV, along with his wife.
