The Latest: Israel stops missile fired from Yemen as concerns about Houthis entering the war rise
Israel stopped a missile fired from Yemen on Saturday, the first time it had faced fire from that country since the war in the Middle East erupted last month. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, raising concerns about the group entering the fighting.
The group's previous attacks on vessels during the Israel-Hamas war upended shipping in the Red Sea.
Before the attack from Yemen, there appeared to be a breakthrough as Tehran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities hours after threatening to “escalate and expand” its campaign against Tehran on Friday. Iran vowed to retaliate and struck a base in Saudi Arabia that U.S. officials said wounded at least 10 U.S. service members, two of them seriously.
Here is the latest:
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel, their first since the war in the Middle East started.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, issued the claim in a statement aired Saturday morning by the rebels’ Al-Masirah satellite television.
The Israeli military said it intercepted the missile.
The attack came hours after Saree signaled in a vague statement Friday that the rebels would join the war that shocked the region and rattled the global economy.
He said the rebels fired a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting what he described as “sensitive Israeli military sites” in southern Israel.
More than two dozen U.S. troops have been wounded in Iranian attacks on a Saudi air base in the past week, according to two people who have been briefed on the matter.
Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base in a Friday attack that wounded at least 15 troops, including five seriously, according to the sources who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. U.S. officials initially reported that at least 10 U.S. troops were injured, including two seriously wounded.
The base had come under attack twice earlier this week, including an incident that injured 14 U.S. troops, according to the people who had been briefed on the matter.
Located about 96 kilometers (60 miles) from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the base is run by the Royal Saudi Air Force, but is also used by U.S. troops.
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By Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Samy Magdy
Oman said the strike hit Salalah port Saturday morning, wounding a foreign worker.
The government media office said the two-drone attack also damaged a crane.
Sirens sounded in Bahrain Saturday morning, ahead of a potential attack, authorities said.
The Interior Ministry urged people to head to the nearest safe location.
Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base in a Friday attack, according to a person briefed on the assault.
The Iranian assault wounded at least 15 U.S. service members, including five who were seriously hurt in the attack, according to the person who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. U.S. officials initially reported that at least 10 U.S. troops were injured, including two who were seriously wounded.
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By Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani
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