Mideast Crisis

An ongoing US military campaign must defeat Houthi fighters in Yemen to prove Washington's resolve to their Iranian backers, US Senator John Hoeven told Iran International.

Senior Iraqi politicians opposed to Iranian influence in the country have called for Tehran-backed militias to disarm and disband now that the Islamic Republic's sway over the region has diminished.

The US military has deployed long range bombers at a strategic Indian Ocean airbase, a spokesperson told Iran International, as Washington ramps up rhetoric against Iran and continues a bombing campaign on Houthi fighters in Yemen.

Iran is using diplomats and couriers to smuggle cash to Tehran's ailing ally Hezbollah in Lebanon via flights from Istanbul, Israel's N12 reported, after new authorities in Beirut banned Iran's state carriers.

US defense secretary Pete Hegseth urged public messaging emphasizing Iran's support of the Houthis in texts leaked to an American journalist, saying the public was largely ignorant about the Yemeni militia.

The leadership in Baghdad is pressuring Tehran-aligned armed groups not to attack Israeli targets to avoid a punishing military response, The New Arab news outlet reported on Wednesday.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled what state media dubbed a new missile city, showcasing a variety of domestically produced missiles, as tensions with the United States escalate.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have banned their leaders from carrying mobile phones and urged civilians not to share information about US airstrikes, Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reported on Monday, as the group faces increased attacks on its positions.

As cases of Israelis being hired by Iranian operatives continue to soar, Israel Police says it has arrested a 65-year-old accused of carrying out surveillance and photography missions for Iran at infrastructure and security sites in Israel.

The head of a leading Israeli intelligence research center says Iranian support for Hamas in Gaza has been hampered since the war began, as the strip has been locked down, with efforts now refocused on Tehran's allies in the West Bank.

Millions of Israelis took to shelters in the early hours of Thursday morning as Yemen’s Houthis stepped up air attacks on Israel while the US continues to hit deep into the Iran-backed militant group's infrastructure.

US president Donald Trump says it's not enough for Iran to reduce its support of Houthis and all arms provisions must end, citing reports that Tehran has rolled back its supplies to the Yemen group.

Israeli attacks in Gaza killed hundreds of people and took fire from Yemen's Houthis after US airstrikes on the group, shattering a relative calm with the Iran-backed groups as the standoff over Tehran's festers.

As conflict between Tehran and Washington escalates and war lowers over the horizon, "de-risking" has become a mantra in Arab capitals astride the Persian Gulf.

Yemen's Houthi foreign minister said the group will not halt its Red Sea attacks on shipping, despite Iran's reported calls for de-escalation.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Monday that it will be punished if its Yemeni allies the Houthis retaliate against a US air assault over the weekend, escalating his rhetoric against Tehran.

Tehran has condemned the US and UK military strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen, rejecting US President Donald Trump's warning against its support for the militant group which it continues to say acts independently of Iran.

Qatar's prime minister has warned that an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would contaminate the waters of the Persian Gulf, threatening life in Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait.