The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist movement has yet to enter the conflict on Iran’s side but in recent days has been ratcheting up its rhetoric in support of Tehran, with its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, declaring that it was prepared to enter the war against the U.S. and Israel if necessary.

«Regarding military escalation and action, our fingers are on the trigger, ready to respond at any moment should developments warrant it,» al-Houthi said on Thursday.

«The reason why the Houthis have not intervened is they are last line of resistance for the axis. Especially after other axis members were degraded,» Nadwa Al-Dawsari, an expert on Yemen and an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

The official slogan of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) reads, «Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.» 

Al-Dawsari, who has written extensively about Yemen and the Houthis, said: «I think the Houthis will intervene at some point. The longer the war continues, the more likely the Houthis will intervene. I think what the Houthis want to do — and they have been itching for a while to do — is to attack the Saudis. If the Saudis intervene, the Houthis will find a reason to attack the Saudis.»

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Houthi terrorists walk over British and U.S. flags at a rally in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and the recent Houthi strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Feb. 4, 2024, on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen.  (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

The Islamic Republic of Iran formed an «Axis of Resistance» prior to Hamas’ invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023. Iran’s axis coalition of Shiite and Sunni terrorist proxies, includes the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis, Shiite militias in Iraq, and the now-defunct Baathist regime in Syria.

Within the first few weeks of his administration, President Biden launched a reset with the Houthis and pressured the Saudis to end the war against the bellicose Houthi movement. «The war in Yemen must end,» Biden declared in his first major foreign policy speech about the Mideast in February 2021.

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A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, on March 2, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Biden’s reversal of American support for the Saudi-led allies in their war against the Houthis was also coupled with his administration de-listing the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. President Donald Trump swiftly reimposed the terrorist designation for the Houthis at the start of his second term and launched military strikes against the terrorists in Yemen.

Al-Dawsari also said that another reason why the Houthis have yet to join the conflict is that it’s not in the interests of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) «to drag the Houthis into a suicidal war.» She argues that «If the Iranian regime collapses, and if a new regime emerges, I think the IRGC will regroup in Yemen or Somalia. Yemen is the key ally.»

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There has been discussion between the IRGC and Houthis about why the «Houthis’ continued existence is of strategic importance to the IRGC,» she said.

«The IRGC can’t afford to lose the Houthis. Yemen is so important to them. They need to preserve the Houthis for tomorrow for the IRGC to continue even after the regime,» Al-Dawsari continued.

This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen’s Houthi fighters’ takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen.  (Photo by Houthi Movement via Getty Images)

She noted that «Houthis have established themselves in the Horn of Africa. The IRGC is behind the Houthis. Intervention might be symbolic by the Houthis.» She continued that Iran’s «tactic now is to prolong the war and widen it across the region and to put more pressure on the U.S.» 

In May 2025, Trump announced that the U.S. would stop its air bombing campaign against the Houthis because, he said, the Houthis «don’t want to fight.»

«They just don’t want to, and we will honor that. We will stop the bombings,» Trump said. The Houthis had launched attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, as well as the Jewish state, to support their ally Hamas in Gaza.

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Al-Dawsari said after the Trump announcement the Houthis did not attack American ships.» They know Trump does not joke. They know they will suffer consequences.»

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Irán se preparaba para revelar el domingo quién sería su nuevo líder supremo, después de que los ataques aéreos de Estados Unidos e Israel destruyeran depósitos de combustible y provocaran incendios que cubrieron gran parte de Teherán con una espesa capa de humo.

El cuerpo clerical encargado de elegir al sucesor del ayatolá Alí Khamenei, asesinado hace poco más de una semana en los ataques que desencadenaron la guerra en Oriente Medio, ha tomado una decisión, pero aún no ha nombrado al nuevo líder.

“Se ha llevado a cabo la votación para nombrar al líder y este ha sido elegido”, afirmó Ahmad Alamolhoda, miembro de la Asamblea de Expertos, según cita la agencia de noticias iraní Mehr.

Alamolhoda afirmó que la secretaría del órgano anunciaría el nombre más tarde. Otros miembros de la asamblea confirmaron que se había tomado una decisión, y uno de ellos sugirió que Mojtaba Khamenei, el hijo del difunto líder, ocuparía el cargo.

Mientras tanto, Israel lanzó una severa advertencia de que sus fuerzas no dudarían en atacar al nuevo jefe y a los miembros de la Asamblea de Expertos que se reunieron para confirmarlo.

Su alcance quedó patente con dos nuevas operaciones llevadas a cabo durante la noche: ataques contra depósitos de combustible en Teherán y sus alrededores, y un ataque contra un hotel en el centro de la capital libanesa, Beirut, que tenía como objetivo a presuntos comandantes iraníes.

Mientras la guerra se prolongaba por noveno día, la Guardia Revolucionaria de Irán afirmó que tenía suministros suficientes para continuar su guerra aérea con drones y misiles sobre Oriente Medio durante un máximo de seis meses.

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, volvió a negarse a descartar el envío de tropas terrestres estadounidenses a Irán, pero siguió insistiendo en que la guerra estaba prácticamente ganada a pesar de los continuos ataques con misiles y drones iraníes.

El portavoz de la Guardia Revolucionaria, Ali Mohammad Naini, afirmó que Irán solo había utilizado hasta el momento misiles de primera y segunda generación, pero que en los próximos días emplearía “misiles avanzados y menos utilizados de largo alcance”.

Arabia Saudita interceptó una oleada de drones que se dirigían a objetivos como el barrio diplomático de su capital, Riad; Kuwait informó de que un ataque había alcanzado los tanques de combustible de su aeropuerto internacional, y Barhein comunicó que una planta desalinizadora había resultado dañada.

Aviones de combate atacaron cinco instalaciones petroleras en ataques nocturnos en la capital iraní y sus alrededores, causando la muerte de cuatro personas, según informó el director general de la empresa nacional de distribución de productos petrolíferos a la televisión estatal.

El gobernador de Teherán declaró a la agencia de noticias IRNA que la distribución de combustible se había “interrumpido temporalmente” en la capital mientras se llevaban a cabo las reparaciones.

Una oscura neblina cubría la ciudad al amanecer y el olor a quemado permanecía en el aire.

El ejército israelí confirmó que su fuerza aérea había atacado “instalaciones de almacenamiento de combustible en Teherán” para impedir su uso por parte del ejército iraní.

Teherán ha prometido ir tras los activos estadounidenses en la región, y Arabia Saudita, Qatar, los Emiratos Árabes Unidos y Kuwait informaron de nuevos ataques el domingo.

Dentro de Irán, los daños en las infraestructuras y las zonas residenciales van en aumento, mientras la población expresa su creciente inquietud y se nota una fuerte presencia de las fuerzas de seguridad.

“No creo que nadie que no haya vivido una guerra pueda entenderlo”, declaró a la AFP un profesor de 26 años bajo condición de anonimato, al describir el miedo que supone vivir bajo los bombardeos.

El Ministerio de Salud de Irán dijo el domingo que al menos 1200 civiles habían muerto y alrededor de 10.000 habían resultado heridos, cifras que la AFP no pudo verificar de forma independiente.

El Ministerio de Salud del Líbano dijo que al menos 294 personas han muerto en los ataques aéreos israelíes durante la última semana, lo que llevó al primer ministro Nawaf Salam a advertir de una inminente “catástrofe humanitaria”.

Mientras tanto, Trump asistió al regreso de los cuerpos de seis militares estadounidenses muertos en un ataque con drones contra una base estadounidense en Kuwait el domingo pasado.

Los analistas advierten de que todavía no hay un camino claro para poner fin a un conflicto que, según funcionarios estadounidenses e israelíes, podría durar un mes o más.

Trump ha sugerido que la economía de Irán podría reconstruirse si un líder “aceptable” para Washington sustituyera al difunto líder supremo, lo que Teherán ha rechazado.

China y Rusia se han mantenido en gran medida al margen, a pesar de sus estrechos vínculos con Teherán.

El máximo diplomático chino, Wang Yi, afirmó el domingo que la guerra en Oriente Medio “nunca debería haber ocurrido” y declaró en una conferencia de prensa en Beijing que “un puño fuerte no significa una razón fuerte. El mundo no puede volver a la ley de la selva”.

(Con información de AFP)

King Charles III will reflect on «the increasing pressures of conflict» across the world in a «time of great challenge» during a speech planned for Monday, according to multiple reports. 

«We join together on this Commonwealth Day at a time of great challenge and great possibility,» a preview of the 77-year-old’s Commonwealth Day speech says.

The king’s speech continued: «Across our world, communities and nations face the increasing pressures of conflict, climate change and rapid transformation. Yet it is often in such testing moments that the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth is most clearly revealed.»

The speech will come a little more than a week after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran, which British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom didn’t take part in for the sake of their national interest.

«This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with,» President Donald Trump said earlier this week in a criticism of Starmer amid a perceived lack of support for the U.S. and Israel’s joint military operation against Iran.

«By the way, I’m not happy with the U.K. either,» the president said, referring to Starmer blocking the United States’ use of U.K. bases to launch attacks on Iran.

Britain has since allowed the U.S. to use its bases in the region for defensive purposes against Iran’s retaliatory strikes. It has also mobilized fighter jets and plans to send a destroyer and possibly an aircraft carrier. 

The president referenced the Chagos Islands Tuesday, which are British territories in the Indian Ocean, saying it has taken «three, four days for us to work out where we can land there.»

«It would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours, so we are very surprised,» he said.

Later, the president said the United Kingdom has been «very, very uncooperative with that stupid island.» 

«It’s a shame,» Trump said. «That country, the U.K., and I love that country, I love it.»

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President Trump has criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the U.K.’s cooperation with the U.S. on its military action in Iran.  (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

«This is not the age of Churchill,» he added.

Trump slammed Starmer again on Saturday, accusing the prime minister of joining the war after the U.S. had «already won.»

«The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,» Trump wrote on Truth Social. «That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!»

Starmer has defended his decision to stay out of the conflict, saying the U.K. was «not involved in the ​initial strikes against Iran, and we will not join offensive action now.»

«But in the face of Iran’s barrage of missiles and ⁠drones, we will protect our people in the region,» Starmer said in an address Monday to Parliament. «President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the ​initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I’ve done, and I stand by it.»

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King Charles III will reflect on «the increasing pressures of conflict» across the world in a «time of great challenge» during a speech planned for Monday. (Andrew Matthews / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)

The king and other senior royals will gather at Westminster Abbey on Monday for the annual Commonwealth Day celebration, which recognizes the 56 countries voluntarily connected to the U.K., many of which were once part of the British Empire.

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The preview of the speech continues: «Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good — grounded in community, committed to the kind of restorative sustainability that has a return on investment, enriched by culture, steadfast in its care for our planet, and united in friendship and in the service of its people.»

Charles’ speech at the abbey will also be the largest gathering of the royal family since former Prince Andrew was arrested on Feb. 19.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

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