Thousands of US marines have arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli, according to US Central Command, as the Yemeni Houthis have warned they will continue carrying out military operations in the coming days.
“The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about 3,500 Sailors and Marines in addition to transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,” wrote US Central Command on Saturday.
The arrival of the reinforcements comes amidst speculation of a ground invasion. However, secretary of state Marco Rubio had said on Friday that the US could achieve its goals without a ground invasion.
Earlier this week, reports from theWall Street Journal suggested Trump was considering sending 10,000 troops.
The Iran-aligned Houthis said they carried out a second attack on Israel in less than 24 hours using missiles and drones, and vowed to continue military operations in the coming days, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech.
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U.S.-Iran war in numbers: Thousands dead, billions spent, and the global economy in crisis
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Force of 3,500 Marines and sailors arrive in Middle East
ICYMI: Iran's exiled prince wants US to continue war
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 08:10
Pakistan to host talks with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt on Iran war
Pakistan is hosting talks with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt on the Iran war today, according to Pakistan's foreign ministry.
Foreign ministers from the four countries are set to hold "in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region" today and tomorrow.
“We would discuss where the negotiations in this war are heading and how these four countries assess the situation and what can be done," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told broadcaster A Haber on Friday.
In recent weeks, Pakistan has positioned itself as a potential venue for indirect US-Iran negotiations.
It has conveyed to Tehran a US proposal for ending the war and offered to host talks between the two sides.
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 07:50
Oman says no party has claimed responsibility for attacks on its territory
Oman's foreign ministry said on Sunday that it condemns attacks on its territory, adding that no party has claimed responsibility.
It said authorities were investigating the attacks' "sources and motives" without providing further details.
Oman said on Saturday that a worker was injured in a drone attack on the Gulf country's Salalah port and Danish container shipping group Maersk said later that it temporarily halted its operations at the port after Saturday's attack.
Tara Cobham29 March 2026 07:36
Yemen condemns Iran's 'attempts to drag' it into war
The Yemen government strongly condemned Iran's "frequent attempts to drag" it into wars through its allied militias, the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) reported yesterday.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility for launching missiles towards Israel yesterday, marking their entry into the US-led war against Iran for the first time since February.
"The new round of subversive Iranian policies, which the Houthis terrorist militias have joined, reproduces the catastrophic model experienced by other countries in the region, where armed groups outside the law continue to seize the decision over war and peace, and involve their countries in destructive confrontations," Yemen's internationally recognised government said in a statement.
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 07:30
Kuwait's main airport suffers 'significant' damage from drone attacks
Kuwait International Airport has suffered "significant damage" to its radar system following multiple drone strikes by Iran and its proxies, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said yesterday.
You can read more on the situation here:
Major airport suffers ‘significant’ damage in Iranian drone attacks
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 07:10
Israeli strikes kill three journalists in Lebanon as CPJ probes attack
Israeli strikes have killed three journalists in Lebanon, including a reporter working for a Hezbollah-owned television network accused of being a "terrorist".
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said it was investigating the attack, with Lebanon calling the strike a “blatant crime".
“Once again, the Israeli aggression is violating the most basic rules of international laws and international humanitarian law and the laws of war, by targeting press reporters, who are ultimately civilians performing a professional duty,” the Lebanese presidency posted on X.
“We have seen a disturbing pattern in this war and in the decades prior of Israel accusing journalists of being active combatants and terrorists without providing credible evidence," CPJ said in a statement.
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 06:50
US destroyed only third of Iran's missiles, report finds
Countering Donald Trump’s claims that Tehran had “very few rockets left”, a new report by Reuters suggests that only about a third of Iran’s missile and drone arsenal has been destroyed.
Another third is likely damaged or buried in underground tunnels and bunkers, according to the report, which is based on people familiar with US intelligence.
It suggests that Tehran still has a sizeable stockpile.
US officials earlier stated that the war in Iran eliminated Tehran's missiles, with both Washington and Tel Aviv claiming that degrading Iran’s ballistic missile capacity is one of the chief aims of the war.
Israel said it “neutralised” nearly 70 per cent of Tehran’s missile launchers spread across Iran, but the Islamic Republic has continued to hit targets in Israel and the Gulf.
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 06:30
US condemns drone attack on Kurdish president's residence
US has said it "unequivocally and forcefully condemns" attack by Iran's proxies on the private residence of Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.
"These actions by Iran and its proxies are a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, stability, and unity. We categorically reject the indiscriminate and cowardly terrorist acts that Iran and its terrorist proxies have unleashed in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and throughout Iraq," the US department of state posted on X.
However, Iran claimed that the attack was a US-Israeli assassination attempt, calling it a clear "act of terrorism".
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 06:10
ICYMI: Trump warns Cuba is 'next'
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 05:50
UAE says it is actively engaging with drones from Iran
The UAE defence ministry said today it is actively engaging with missiles and drones from Iran.
"Authorities in Dubai confirm that the sounds heard across parts of the city were the result of successful air defence interception operations," the government of Dubai's media office posted on X.
"The concerned teams continue to monitor the situation and take the necessary measures to ensure everyone's safety, and they urge the public to obtain information from its official sources," it said in a statement.
Vishwam Sankaran29 March 2026 05:30NewerOlder