Iran Conflict Spreads to Red Sea and Caspian as US Strikes Pause
The Iran conflict continues to spread, despite a pause in US strikes over the weekend. The war has reached new regions, including the Red Sea and Caspian Sea, with no signs of de-escalation.
On Saturday, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast, while Iran accused Ukraine of targeting an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. The US military stated that its naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect, but did not explain why it halted a streak of 13 nights of escalating strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the results of 'long-range strikes' in the Caspian Sea, alluding to vessels shipping military cargo. However, he did not identify the nationality of the targets.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in Tehran to convey its protest over what it described as a 'hostile and criminal' attack.