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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said if the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen continue attacks on the Jewish state, they will respond with a naval and air blockade.
The warning follows overnight strikes on Monday, which for the first time saw Israel's navy target Yemen's Hodeidah Port in retaliation for continued strikes against Israel in the wake of the Gaza war, and a maritime blockade in the Red Sea.
"We warned the Houthi terrorist organization that if they continue to fire at Israel, they will receive a powerful response and enter a naval and air blockade. That's what we did today - and we will continue to do so in the future," Katz said.
According to the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, Israel targeted the docks of Hodeidah port with two strikes.
Israel's military said: “The port has been struck by the IDF over the past year and continues to be used for terrorist purposes," saying it has been used to transfer weapons for the group, designated as a foreign terrorist organization by countries including the US.
The Houthis have become a serious force in the region. The Council of Foreign Relations says that “Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has become one of the Middle East’s most potent non-state actors since Israel’s war against Hamas reignited in 2023”.
The Israeli military told Iran International that over 43 missiles have been launched against the Jewish state since January alone.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Yemen’s Houthis have launched missiles, rockets, and drones toward Israel and enforced a maritime disruption in the Red Sea, in what it describes as support for Palestinians in Gaza. One of the most recent projectiles narrowly missed Israel’s main airport last month.
“Over the past year and a half, the Houthi terrorist regime has been aggressively operating under Iranian direction and funding in order to harm the State of Israel and its allies, undermining regional stability and disrupting global freedom of naval navigation,” the Israeli military said, warning of further strikes to come.
On Tuesday morning, Nasruddin Amer, from the Houthis' media authority, said on X that the latest strikes have "no significant impact on our operations in support of Gaza, nor on preparations for escalation and expansion of operations deep inside the Zionist enemy entity [Israel]".
Iran said it will respond firmly to any politically motivated or unlawful action against its nuclear program, as Western powers push for a non-compliance resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.
The draft resolution, backed by the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, follows a confidential report by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, circulated to member states late last month. The report raised concerns over undeclared nuclear activity at multiple Iranian sites and Iran’s continued accumulation of highly enriched uranium.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei rejected both the IAEA report and the resolution as politically driven. “Any extralegal action against Iran’s national interests will be met with a strong and proportionate response,” he said in a radio interview aired by Iranian state media on Tuesday.
Baghaei said the report lacked new technical evidence and repeated allegations already resolved under the 2015 nuclear deal. He accused Western governments of attempting to revive closed cases and impose pressure on Iran through the agency’s mechanisms.
“There is no evidence in the report of non-compliance or deviation from peaceful activities,” he added.
He emphasized that peaceful uranium enrichment is Iran’s legal right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and warned that any further escalation would be met with reciprocal steps. He did not specify what measures Iran might take.
Earlier in the week, the spokesperson of Iran's atomic agency, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said that the last resolution by the agency led Tehran to increase its 60-percent uranium production sevenfold, launch 20 cascades of centrifuges, and install new generations of centrifuges.
IAEA chief Grossi said on Monday that while the resolution process is separate from indirect nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, the two tracks clearly influence one another. “There is no formal link, but there is mutual influence,” he said.
Iran has yet to formally respond to the latest US proposal on the nuclear file. President Donald Trump said on Monday he expected a new round of talks on Thursday, but Iranian officials said that timeline is unlikely. Baghaei later said discussions are being planned for Sunday in Muscat.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran is participating in negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
"Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us and Hamas and Israel, and Iran actually is involved," Trump said. He provided no further details.
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US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran is involved in negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us and Hamas and Israel, and Iran actually is involved,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We want to get the hostages back.”
Trump gave no further details.
The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has accepted the plan, while Hamas has not agreed. The proposal includes the release of 28 Israeli hostages, both living and dead, in exchange for 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 Palestinians.
Separately, Trump said talks with Iran on its nuclear program were continuing but differences remained. He said Iran wanted to continue enriching uranium, which the US opposes.
“They seek enrichment. We can’t have enrichment,” Trump said.
Earlier on Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry said it would soon present a counter-proposal to a recent US offer, which it has called unacceptable.
Trump told reporters he expected the next round of discussions to take place on Thursday. However, Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei later said the next round of indirect negotiations was being planned for Sunday in Muscat.
The White House has received indications that despite saying "no," Iran will express interest in continuing the nuclear talks with the United States, Axios reported on Monday citing a senior White House official.
"We sent the Iranians and very tough proposal, and we expect that they will give a harsh response," the official was quoted as saying.
