What we know on Day 29 of the US and Israel’s war with Iran: Houthis enter conflict, US builds up forces

(CNN) — As the war in Iran enters its fifth week, the conflict widened further on Saturday, when Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for two missile strikes against Israel, launched hours apart.

Meanwhile, a ship carrying 3,500 US sailors and Marines arrived in the Middle East, and several infrastructure sites were struck in Iran and across the Persian Gulf.

Here is what you need to know on Day 29 of the conflict.

What are the main headlines?

• Houthis enter war: Houthi rebels based in Yemen, who form part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance,” said they launched ballistic missiles against Israel on Saturday for the first time in the conflict. Hours later, they claimed responsibility for a second attack, which was intercepted by Israel. Their involvement could throw the Middle East’s oil exports and shipping into further chaos since they can threaten another critical chokepoint – the Bab al-Mandab Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
• US service members arrive: The USS Tripoli, carrying 3,500 US sailors and Marines, arrived in the Middle East on Friday as the Pentagon considers its next steps in the war. Similar units have previously been used for missions like large-scale evacuations and amphibious operations including raids and assaults. One source previously told CNN the unit’s presence gives commanders more options for a range of contingencies.
• Infrastructure under attack: Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites and industrial plants while buildings at a Tehran university were damaged in an overnight strike. Meanwhile, a major global aluminum company, which is the second-largest supplier of the product, said its smelter site suffered “significant” damage from Iranian missile and drone attacks on Abu Dhabi, and a huge fire broke out at Kuwait International Airport after a drone attack hit fuel tanks there. A port in Oman was also targeted by a drone attack.
• Diplomatic efforts: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a one-hour call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, a senior Pakistani source told CNN. Pezeshkian stressed “the need to build trust in order to facilitate talks and mediation,” while Sharif detailed the “diplomatic outreach” his government is undertaking. Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator and is scheduled to host a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of several regional powers on Sunday.
• Saudi Arabia attack: At least 10 US service members were wounded in an Iranian attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, a US official told CNN. No service members were killed. A refueler tanker aircraft was also damaged. Satellite imagery showed smoke rising from the airbase.
• Civilian toll: More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, the Iranian Red Crescent said Friday, and at least 1,189 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry. Dozens others have been killed across the region too.

What’s happening on the ground?

• Iran nuclear sites targeted: The IDF said it targeted two nuclear facilities in Iran Friday – a uranium plant in Yazd and the inactive Arak reactor – after threatening to “escalate and expand” its attacks. No radiation risks were reported, the International Atomic Energy Agency said. Israel also struck two steel plants.
• Munitions strike in Israel: At least one person died and four others suffered light injuries after a cluster munitions strike in Israel, according to its national emergency service, Magen David Adom.
• Journalists killed: A Lebanese reporter working for a Hezbollah-owned network was among three journalists killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon. The Israeli military accused Ali Shuaib of being a “terrorist” operating under the “guise of a journalist.” The Lebanese presidency called the attack a “blatant crime.”
• Lebanese under attack: The World Health Organization (WHO) said nine paramedics were killed and seven wounded in five separate Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon on Saturday, bringing the number of health workers killed in March to at least 51. WHO says the attacks are severely disrupting access to care across southern Lebanon. Four hospitals and more than 50 primary healthcare centers have been forced to close, and several others are operating at reduced capacity after sustaining damage.
• Strait passage: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Iran will allow 20 Pakistani ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan has been acting as the mediator for negotiations between Iran and the US.

What is the Trump administration saying?

• War “not finished”: Trump said the war with Iran is “not finished yet” in remarks at the summit in Miami, adding that the US still has “another 3,554” targets left to hit in Iran. “That’ll be done pretty quickly,” he said. Trump has previously claimed victory numerous times over Iran.
• Trump’s plea: Trump called on more Middle Eastern countries to sign the Abraham Accords, an agreement his administration reached in its first term which saw Israel normalize relations with some Arab nations including the UAE and Bahrain. He also suggested the US would scale back NATO spending due to alliance members’ reluctance to intervene in this war.
• Witkoff optimistic: Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said Friday he is “hopeful” meetings with Iran will take place “this week.” His comments came just after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CNN that the US has not yet received a full Iranian response to the 15-point proposal to end the war set out by the Trump administration. Iranian state media has reported Tehran rejected that offer.
• New deployment: Separate to the USS Tripoli arriving in the region, the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier is expected to deploy to an area near the conflict, according to a source. That announcement came a day before the US Navy said another aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has anchored in Split, Croatia. It was previously undergoing repairs in Crete, Greece after a non-combat related fire broke out on the ship on March 12. It had been participating in operations against Iran before the fire.
• No ground troops: Despite this, Rubio said Friday that the US can achieve its objectives “without any ground troops.” As to why more service members are being sent to the Middle East, Rubio said Trump “has to be prepared for multiple contingencies.”

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CNN’s Jonny Hallam and Alessandra Freitas contributed.