Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi rebels deepened their involvement in the Middle East war, launching a second salvo of missiles within 24 hours against Israel, while Tehran said it will give permission for ships from “nonhostile” nations to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Israel intensified its attacks against Iran, targeting an Iranian naval research facility and striking the capital, Tehran, late on March 28 as the conflict continues its spread across regional borders.
The involvement of the Houthi rebel group -- designated a terrorist organization by the United States -- risks widening a war that has already drawn in US forces, Gulf Arab states, Israel, and even farther away places, such as Cyprus, Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, and Sri Lanka, more than 4,000 kilometers away from Iran.
The Houthis had so far avoided entry into the war, but their actions on March 28 raised fears of a possible disruption to the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, through which roughly 10 percent of the world's seaborne oil passes. This after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to most traffic.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree in a statement said the group fired "a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting several vital and military sites" in Israel. The attack "coincided with the military operations being carried out by" Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, he added. Details could not immediately be verified.
Israel's military confirmed an incoming missile was fired from Yemen and that it was intercepted before it reached Israeli territory near the southern city of Eilat.
A day earlier, Saree said in a televised address that the Houthis “confirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention” if attacks on Iran continue or if any new combatants join the United States and Israel against Tehran and its allies.
'A Multifront War'
When asked about the potential for a widening of the war, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said: “We are preparing for a multifront war.”
He added that Iran’s weapons production capabilities will be largely destroyed "within a few days" as the war entered its second month.
Israel continued to pound Iran, saying it struck a naval research site on March 28 and with several blasts reported in the capital, Tehran.
Israel's military said Iran's Marine Industries Organization facility developed "a wide range of naval weaponry, including surface and sub-surface vessels, [and] manned and unmanned equipment."
Israel also has launched an air and ground campaign in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah, a US-designated terror organization.
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian on March 28 threatened retaliation against regional countries should Iranian infrastructure or economic centers be targeted.
"If you want development and security, don't let our enemies run the war from your lands," he told "countries of the region," many of which host US military bases.
Pakistan Gets Hormuz OK
Meanwhile, Pakistan's foreign minister on March 28 said Iran had agreed to allow an additional 20 Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with two vessels permitted to transit daily.
Ishaq Dar said on X that "the government of Iran has agreed to allow 20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz."
"Two ships will cross the strait daily," he added.
The Bangkok Post reported that Tehran has also agreed to allow Thai oil tankers through the strait, as authorities hope to ease the intensifying energy crunch in the Asian nation.
The Strait of Hormuz accounts for around one-fifth of global oil shipments and the effective closure of it by Iranian forces has become a central issue of the conflict, which started with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Tehran earlier suggested that ships from "nonhostile" nations would have clear passage through the Strait of Hormuz. However, even if some vessels are allowed through, overall uncertainty has made it difficult to secure insurance, effectively preventing ships from using the waterway.
The Pakistani government has been acting as a mediator between Iran and the United States and has conveyed the US peace plan to Tehran. It also announced that it would host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt for talks on the matter on March 29–30.
Pakistan shares a 900-kilometer-long border with Iran and has a large Shi'ite Muslim minority. Iran's population is overwhelmingly Shi'ite.
Islamabad is also an ally of the United States -- although the relationship is often strained over issues such as the fight against terrorism --and has close ties to the Gulf Arab states.
