Houthis Threaten to Close Bab al-Mandab

• CrossFireArabia
• March 29, 2026

A Houthi official in Yemen has not ruled out the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as part of the ongoing military escalation between Iran, the US and Israel, as war entered its second month.

The Houthi group launched missile strikes toward Israel on Saturday, the first by the Iran-backed Yemeni group since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Tehran last month.

“We are in joint coordination with our brothers in Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq,” Mohammed Mansour, deputy information minister in the Houthi-run government, told Al-Araby Television on Saturday.

He said the Houthis joined the conflict “to provide support to our brothers in Iran who are fighting epic battles” as well as the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Mansour said the Houthis’ move to join the war “aims to increase pressure on Israel and the US.”

“Every step we take is carefully calculated to be effective and to increase the pressure on Israel and the US,” he said.

Yemen “bears a moral, religious, and humanitarian responsibility toward Iran, Hezbollah, and Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces,” the Houthi official said, describing the alliance as “primarily aiming to support Palestine.”

Mansour said the Houthi group has many options to pile pressure on Israel and the US amid the current war with Iran.

“The Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab will be among the options,” he said.

The Red Sea is one of the world’s most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

“We have extensive experience in naval and land operations, and our previous intervention to support Gaza was one of the important surprises for the world,” the Houthi official said.

The Houthi group had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping lanes in response to Israel’s deadly offensive on Gaza, which killed more than 72,000 people since October 2023.

Regarding the possible closure of the strategic strait or attacks on passing ships, Mansour said: “This depends on the Israeli and US escalation, and the American preparations for any ground movement.”

“The Yemeni leadership makes its decisions independently based on military and political assessments, taking into account that any step will be calculated and effective.”

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation. Anadolu

Yemen Official Enters The War

• CrossFireArabia
• March 29, 2026

The military spokesman for the Ansar Allah group in Yemen announced that the armed forces had carried out the “second military operation in the ‘Holy Jihad Battle,'” using a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting several vital and military sites belonging to the “Zionist enemy” in southern occupied Palestine.

In a statement issued, Saturday evening, Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that the operation coincided with “military operations carried out by our mujahideen brothers in Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and achieved their objectives successfully, thanks to God.”

Brigadier General Saree affirmed that the armed forces would continue their military operations in the coming days until the enemy ceases its attacks and aggression.

5,165 Israelis Injured in Iranian Attacks

• CrossFireArabia
• March 25, 2026

Israel’s Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 5,165 people have been injured in Iranian attacks since late last month.

In a statement, the ministry said that 120 people were injured in attacks from Iran in the past 24 hours.

It, however, did not specify how many people are still hospitalized.

The US and Israel have maintained airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation according to Anadolu.

Iran Struck Israel With 1200 Missiles Since 28 February

• CrossFireArabia
• March 20, 2026

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, Friday, that Tehran and Hezbollah fired approximately 1,200 rockets at Israel in retaliation for Tel Aviv’s aggression against both Iran and Lebanon.

Since February 28, Israel and the United States conducted airstrikes against Iran, killing at least 1,332 people, including 202 children, 223 women, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in addition to injuring more than 15,000 and causing widespread destruction.

Since March 2, Israel has also been waging an offensive against Lebanon, resulting in 1,001 deaths, 2,584 injuries, and 1,049,328 displaced persons, according to Lebanese authorities.

The newspaper stated Iran increased its use of cluster munitions in the third week of the war, with 15 of these rockets successfully dispersing bombs within Israeli airspace, mostly in the central part of the country.

It added: “In total, over the past 20 days, Iran has launched 26 cluster munitions, causing damage to at least 150 sites, including this week two train and bus stations and three parked planes at Ben Gurion Airport.”

Iran has been bombarding Israel with at least 10 missiles a day, totaling approximately 400 missiles, while the Israeli army said that about 340 missiles have been fired at Israel, according to the newspaper.

It added that the army refuses to provide the exact number of missiles, but reported earlier this week that during the first 15 days, Iran launched about 340 missiles, and “since then, no updated data has been provided.”

Haaretz stated that “since Hezbollah joined the war, it has attacked Israel, especially its north, with about 800 missiles in dozens of attacks daily.”

The US-Israeli aggression against Iran resulted in at least 1,332 deaths, including 202 children, 223 women, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in addition to more than 15,000 injuries and widespread destruction.

Meanwhile, the response from Tehran and its ally Hezbollah in Israel left at least 17 dead and 4,099 wounded, in addition to Iranian attacks that killed 13 US service members and injured 200.

Iran is being subjected to aggression despite making progress in negotiations with the United States regarding its nuclear program. This is the second time Israel has reneged on the negotiating table; the first time was the outbreak of the June 2015 war as reported by Anadolu.

Eid Mubarak Gaza

• CrossFireArabia
• March 20, 2026

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are marking the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, the first since the so-called ceasefire began, amid widespread suffering and destruction following two years of Israeli genocide.

Across the enclave, Palestinians performed Eid prayers amid the rubble, in a powerful act of steadfastness and resilience, and children tried to find moments of joy.