Israel prepared for ‘multi-front war’ as more US troops arrive in the region

By James Legge, Issy Ronald, CNN

(CNN) — As the conflict in the Middle East enters its second month, all the major parties are doubling down on their positions, seemingly weighing the option of further escalation.

Israel said it is prepared for a “multi-front war,” Iran’s parliament speaker said the country’s forces are “waiting” for a US ground invasion, while more US troops arrived in the region.

Here’s the latest.

What are the main headlines?

• Iranian forces “waiting”: Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US of “secretly planning a ground invasion” while floating negotiations, and said Tehran’s forces are “waiting for them.” Ghalibaf has emerged as one of the most senior surviving civilian figures in Iran, and has even been seen as a potential interlocutor with the US.
• Israel “prepared”: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it is ready for a “multi-front” war in the wake of the Houthis firing two missiles towards southern Israel. Both were intercepted. “We’ve been fighting for the last two and a half years a multi-front war,” said an IDF spokesperson.
• Israel in Lebanon: Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the expansion of Israel’s security buffer zone in southern Lebanon. The IDF is occupying land south of the Litani River and has blown up several bridges over the river. That cuts off tens of thousands of residents from “essential lifelines,” aid groups warned Friday.
• Houthis enter war: The Houthi rebels – a Yemen-based, Iran-backed militia – waded into the expanding Middle East conflict, firing two missiles at Israel. The movement previously disrupted shipping lanes in the region, attacking vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza. Its involvement now raises the specter of further disruption for a global shipping industry already buffeted by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
• US deployment: The USS Tripoli, carrying 3,500 sailors and Marines, has arrived in the Middle East, said US Central Command, as the Pentagon weighs its next steps. CNN reported earlier this month that a Marine Expeditionary Unit would be deployed to the region. Such units have traditionally been used for missions like large-scale evacuations and amphibious operations that require ship-to-shore movements, including raids and assaults.
• Strait latest: Iran has agreed to allow 20 ships under Pakistani flags to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Islamabad’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post on X. Under the agreement, two ships will cross the strait daily, he added.
• Diplomatic efforts: Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey’s foreign ministers met in Pakistan on Sunday for four-way talks. The regional powers are seeking a way to de-escalate this war, which threatens their own energy security and borders. During the talks, Pakistan’s prime minister “appreciated the remarkable restraint exercised by Saudi Arabia,” his office said in a statement.

What’s happening on the ground?

• Tehran hit: Iranian state-affiliated media is reporting heavy bombardment across Tehran, including in civilian areas, saying explosions hit multiple parts of the capital on Saturday evening. Parchin – a site linked to military activity – was reportedly among areas targeted.
• Infrastructure damaged: Several infrastructure sites across the Middle East were struck this weekend as Iran launched more attacks. Firefighters worked for hours to extinguish a huge blaze at an industrial site in central Israel after a “weapon fragment or interceptor fragment” hit it on Sunday.Aluminium Bahrain, a major smelter, was targeted Saturday by an Iranian attack which injured two employees, the country’s state news agency reported. That came after a major aluminum company in the UAE sustained “significant damage” in another Iranian attack. And a massive fire broke out at Kuwait International Airport after a drone attack hit fuel tanks there, the Kuwaiti army said Saturday.
• Campus threat: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it will target American- and Israeli-affiliated universities in the region in retaliation for recent attacks on Iranian higher-education centers. The IRGC said the institutions are now considered “legitimate targets until two universities are struck.”
• Health workers killed: Nine paramedics were killed and seven wounded in five separate attacks in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the World Health Organization said, marking one of the deadliest days for medical workers this month.
• Israel attacked: Alerts were issued across Israel on Sunday, signaling incoming attacks launched from both Iran and Lebanon. Earlier, falling debris from a missile interception injured 11 people and damaged several buildings in Eshtaol, central Israel, according to the country’s national emergency service.
• Global protests: Cities across the world, from Tel Aviv and London to Beirut, Athens and Dakar, have witnessed protests against the US and Israel’s war with Iran in recent days.
• Supreme Leader’s message: A personal message attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been publicly seen since becoming Iran’s new supreme leader, was delivered to the head of a major Iraqi Shiite political party, Iran’s Jamaran news agency reported. The contents of the message are unclear.

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