US sailors and Marines arrive in Middle East as Iran war expands

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels waded into the expanding Middle East conflict, announcing that they fired two missiles at Israel. The movement previously disrupted shipping lanes in the region, attacking vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas.


• More troops arrive: The USS Tripoli, carrying 3,500 sailors and Marines, has arrived in the Middle East, said US Central Command, as the Pentagon weighs its next steps.


• Strait passage: Iran will allow 20 Pakistani ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said. Pakistan has been acting as the mediator for negotiations between Iran and the US.


• Campus threat: The IRGC threatened to hit US and Israeli university campuses in the region, in retaliation for strikes on Iranian education institutions.