U.S. Pauses Nightly Strikes After 13 Consecutive Attacks as Iran and Houthis Step Up Regional Hits

Overview

• The United States conducted near-nightly strikes inside Iran for almost two weeks, with U.S. Central Command describing a 13th consecutive night of attacks before operations were reported to pause on Sunday.
• Iran has claimed retaliatory drone strikes on facilities used by U.S. forces in Bahrain and Jordan, and Iranian officials warned that any country helping the U.S. would be treated as a legitimate target.
• Houthis in Yemen have opened a new front in the Red Sea, claiming attacks on Saudi-linked tankers and threatening actions around the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint that could disrupt global shipping.
• Reporting by Reuters and regional outlets says Iran sent IRGC commanders, advisers and missile/drone equipment to Yemen this month to bolster the Houthis, increasing proxy capacity across the region.
• The pause in U.S. strikes is linked in media reports to worries about Patriot interceptors and munitions inventories, President Trump has warned he may order larger bombardments, and oil prices have climbed above $100 a barrel.