Middle East crisis live: Explosions in Tehran as Yemen’s Houthis heighten risks of Iran war

War continues to escalate with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis confirming a second wave of attacks on Israel since they joined the war on Saturday Read the full report Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East as the war enters its second month. The war only continues to escalate as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis confirmed a second wave of attacks on Israel since joining the conflict on Saturday. They have vowed to continue strikes in the coming days, posing a threat not just to worsening regional security but also global trade. In a televised speech, Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the Iran-backed group had launched a “barrage of cruise missiles and drones” in a second attack on Israel, targeting key military sites . He vowed the Houthis would continue military operations in the coming days until Israel “ceases its attacks and aggression”. The entry of the Houthis, poses a direct threat to the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea , a second major choke point in the supply chain of energy supplies and other trade in and out of the Middle East. With Iran’s near total closure of the strait of Hormuz, a shutdown of the Bab al-Mandab, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, would amplify the already grave impact of the war on the global economy, and could also reignite a Saudi-Yemen conflict. …