The conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate as the US deploys more military forces, while Houthi forces in Yemen begin attacking Israel, expanding the scope of the war.
On March 28, Washington deployed 3,500 Marines to the area, with the first group arriving on a landing ship. The Pentagon is also said to be preparing to deploy more soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division, in order to strengthen response capabilities in the event of escalating conflict.
Foreign Minister Marco Rubio previously said that the US could achieve its goal without infantry forces, but admitted that the deployment of troops is to help President Donald Trump have more strategic options.
Meanwhile, the Houthi forces launched the first attacks on Israel since the conflict broke out. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced that he had carried out 2 attacks in less than 24 hours and would continue military operations.
Israel confirmed that a missile was launched from Yemen targeting its territory but no damage has been recorded. The move raises concerns about the risk of disruption of maritime routes, in the context that the Strait of Hormuz is almost closed, affecting about 1/5 of global oil and gas supplies.
Fighting continues on many fronts. Israel launched airstrikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran and targets in Lebanon, including an attack that killed many journalists and rescuers. Israel believes that one of the journalists targeted is related to Hezbollah forces.
Iran has also intensified attacks on Israel and Gulf countries, after a previous attack on an airbase in Saudi Arabia injured 12 US soldiers. Attacks by drones and missiles have been recorded in areas such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the context of diplomatic efforts being promoted to de-escalate tensions.
Conflict developments have seriously disrupted global energy trade and raised concerns about the impact on the world economy.
