Israel, Iran exchange strikes as Houthis rejoin war
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- Houthis launch missiles at Israel and pledge a total ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, rejoining the Iran war
- Trump demands Israel and Iran deescalate, asserting he 'calls the shots' while urging Netanyahu to wait for negotiations
- Israel conducts strikes across Iran, targeting strategic defense systems and a petrochemical plant in southwestern Iran
- Iran states it no longer distinguishes between U.S. and Israeli actions, citing coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv
- Iran refrains from attacking U.S. assets, possibly due to reports that Trump privately conditioned further war on Iranian attacks killing American soldiers
Why it matters: The U.S. has lost unilateral control over the conflict’s trajectory—Israel and Iran are acting independently, and regional actors like the Houthis are exploiting the chaos, making diplomatic resolution harder and increasing risks for American personnel and shipping lanes.
