Jerusalem, Israel. Israel said on Saturday it detected a missile fired from Yemen, the first since the Iran war began, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington expected to conclude military operations within weeks, not months.
Missile detection and continued strikes
Israel said it was again hitting targets across Iran’s capital on Saturday and identified what it described as a missile launched from Yemen.
Houthi stance and risk of wider conflict
Hours earlier, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said they were prepared to act if what they called an escalation against Iran and the “axis of resistance” continued, but did not specify what form any intervention would take.
Houthi involvement would risk broadening the conflict, given their ability to strike targets beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, which they had done in support of Hamas in Gaza after October 7, 2023.
Rubio timeline for U.S. military operations
Rubio told reporters after meeting Group of Seven counterparts in France that Washington was “on or ahead of schedule in that operation, and expect to conclude it at the appropriate time here – a matter of weeks, not months”.
Impact on allies and NATO remarks
A month after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the conflict has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands and causing the biggest disruption ever to energy supplies, hitting the global economy and fuelling inflation fears.
The war has driven a wedge between the U.S. and its traditional allies, who have stayed on the sidelines, and President Donald Trump said this lack of support had implications for NATO.
“We would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don’t have to be, do we?” Trump told an investment forum in Miami on Friday. “Why would we be there for them if they’re not there for us? They weren’t there for us.”
The charter underlying the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has long been led by the U.S., says an attack on one member is an attack on all, requiring them to support each other.
Strait of Hormuz and calls for contributions
Rubio said European and Asian countries that benefit from trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital choke point largely blocked by Iran, should contribute to efforts to secure free passage.
How do you think the conflict could affect global trade and energy supplies in the coming weeks?
