The country is on the defensive. While Israel has ironclad support from its allies, Tehran is vulnerable and isolated Tit-for-tat confrontation between Israel and Iran has sparked concerns about escalation dragging the Middle East into all-out war. Such a scenario remains unlikely because neither Israel nor Iran would benefit from full-on conflict. But while Israel is feeling emboldened, Iran is on the defensive. Iran’s main interest is self-preservation. It wants to protect its nuclear facilities inside Iran, and its assets in the Middle East, mainly the armed groups it supports, the most val ..read more

Calls during Yemen briefing come as missile believed to have been launched by Houthis strikes a vessel off Aden The US and UK have called for a UN maritime inspectorate to do more to prevent Iranian missiles reaching Houthi-controlled ports in the west of Yemen. The calls during a UN security council briefing on the crisis in Yemen came as a missile believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia struck a vessel off the southern city of Aden – but caused no damage – and US forces fired missiles on to Hodeidah international airport. Guardian Newsroom: The unfolding crisis in the Middle ..read more

All parties ‘continuing to work in negotiations’, says Qatar; US president says he has heavy heart after learning of death of Itay Chen. This live blog is closed First aid ship to Gaza leaves Cyprus port in pilot project A spokesperson for Yemen’s internationally recognised government told Reuters earlier that airstrikes that hit port cities and small towns in western Yemen were carried out by the UK and the US. The UK’s Ministry of Defence has said that earlier reports that Britain was involved in carrying out the airstrikes were incorrect ..read more

Yemeni group earlier warned it would escalate operations during Ramadan in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza Middle East crisis – live updates The US said it carried out six strikes in self-defence against Houthi targets on Monday afternoon and evening, hours after the rebel group warned it would escalate attacks during Ramadan in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. US Central Command (Centcom) said it destroyed an unmanned underwater vessel and 18 anti-ship missiles belonging to the Houthis. However, on Tuesday Houthi attacks continued and drones were shot down by an Italian warship in ..read more

Calls for closer collaboration made after multiple Houthi drone strikes on ships in Red Sea over weekend Middle East crisis – live updates Western efforts to stop Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea will fail unless the US and its allies build stronger intelligence and military relations with the UN-recognised government in Yemen, politicians and experts are warning. Yemen’s ambassador to the UK has warned the Houthis have to be confronted and driven away from Red Sea ports such as Hodeidah. Similar calls were made by members of the Yemeni government coalition when they visited London ..read more

Iran-backed group is attempting to strike ships it claims have links to Israel, in solidarity with Gaza Middle East crisis – latest updates Houthi forces in Yemen claim to have launched one of their largest attacks on US shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they sent 37 drones to hit US navy war ships and a commercial ship. The US Central Command said it had stopped the attack, which it attributed to Iranian-backed Houthi forces. The US spoke of only shooting down 15, not 37, drones ..read more

Incident marks first fatalities of commercial shipping crew since militants began launching strikes off Yemen last year Two sailors have died and six more have been injured after a Houthi missile attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, US officials have said – the first fatalities of crew of commercial shipping since the Houthis began launching strikes at ships in waters off Yemen last year. The officials told US news agencies that the crew of the MV True Confidence had abandoned ship after the attack, which was claimed by the Houthis ..read more

Destroyer Caio Duilio, part of the EU shipping protection force, took out weapon when it came within four miles of the vessel An Italian warship participating in the EU naval protection force in the Red Sea was forced to shoot down a Houthi missile on Saturday in a rare engagement by the country’s navy, which has largely avoided direct action since the second world war. The incident came as Houthi officials vowed to continue to attack British ships after the UK-owned Rubymar sank on Saturday having taken on water for a fortnight after being hit by one of the group’s missiles ..read more

Senior Hamas official says if Israel accepts demand for military withdrawal from Gaza and increase in aid, it would pave way for agreement. This live blog is closed Hamas delegation arrives for Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo Born a month into Israel’s war in Gaza, infant twins Wesam and Naeem Abu Anza were buried on Sunday, the youngest of 14 members of the same family whom Gaza health authorities say were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah overnight. Reuters reports: Their mother, Rania Abu Anza, held one of the twins, its tiny body wrapped in a white shroud, to her cheek and stroked it ..read more

US military warns of environmental and transport risks after sinking of UK-owned cargo ship that was hit as part of militants’ campaign over war in Gaza A UK-owned ship attacked by Yemeni Houthis has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of the rebels’ campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The sinking of the Rubymar comes as shipping through the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe has been affected by the Houthi attacks ..read more