Middle East War Updates: Iran-backed Houthis strike Israel as the conflict expands

Here’s a brief recap of important developments that occurred over the weekend as the Middle East war enters its fifth week, with no signs of any truce.

• Iran-backed militant group in Yemen, Houthis, entered the month-old war in the Middle East on Saturday, claiming two missile launches at Israel.
• The Houthis' entry could further hurt global shipping if they again target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world's trade typically passes.
• Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon as his forces target Hezbollah.
• Islamabad, Pakistan, hosted diplomatic talks between the foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
• Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that “Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan’s facilitation” of the talks, which he said will happen in the “coming days”.
• The Israeli military continued carrying out extensive strikes on what it called targets belonging to the Iranian regime across Tehran.
• Iran’s Energy Minister confirmed Israeli attacks on “electricity infrastructure” in Tehran, the wider Tehran Province and Alborz Province, which caused power outages.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran’s heavy-water production plant is no longer operational at Khondab, which Israel attacked on 27 March.
• Citing US officials, The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of limited ground operations in Iran, potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iranian forces “are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire”.
• The US is allowing a Russian crude tanker to reach Cuba, marking a targeted easing of its de facto oil blockade, per The New York Times.