Houthis fire missiles at Israel, US sends 2,500 Marines
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- Houthis claimed missile launches at Israel, marking their entry into the month‑long Middle East war.
- U.S. Marines numbering about 2,500 arrived in the region, constituting the largest American force in the Middle East in more than two decades.
- Pakistan announced that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send top diplomats to Islamabad for a two‑day meeting to discuss ending the fighting.
- Iran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the Strait of Hormuz after a UN request, while the United States gave Iran a deadline of April 6 to reopen the strait.
- Houthis have previously attacked more than 100 merchant vessels, sinking two, and warned that further attacks could raise oil prices and destabilize maritime security.
- Marco Rubio said Washington can achieve all of its objectives without deploying ground troops, despite the presence of thousands of U.S. Marines and paratroopers.
Why it matters: The Houthis’ missile strikes expand the conflict to the Red Sea, threatening the Bab el‑Mandeb shipping lane that handles roughly 12 % of world trade and pushing oil prices higher; meanwhile, the U.S. deployment of 2,500 Marines and diplomatic outreach underscores the war’s widening regional impact.
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