From Gaza to Yemen: The USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group is now operating in the Red Sea as the U.S. confronts Iran. It’s the second American aircraft carrier deployed in the region—a show of force as talks between Washington and Tehran continue. Iran’s supreme leader says he’s taking a wait-and-see approach to the diplomatic effort, being neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic.
we are very pessimistic about the other side. We know who we’re dealing with. We don’t trust them. Those comments came just a day after President Trump issued a new threat, telling Iran to give up its nuclear program or face a possible military response. ‘They can’t have a nuclear weapon, and they’re not going to have one. And if we have to do something very harsh, we’ll do it.’
But making a deal won’t be easy because of the tangled web of alliances between Iran and militant groups throughout the region, including Hamas, which said Tuesday that as the fighting escalates, they’ve lost contact with the group holding Alexander, the last remaining American hostage. Currently, about 70% of the Gaza Strip is under displacement orders or no-go zones.
Ceasefire talks have now reached an impasse. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says continued pressure from the idea of will produce a breakthrough, but in the meantime, Palestinian civilians are caught in the crossfire.
For the past 32 straight days, the Trump administration has carried out non-stop airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen—an effort to stop the Iranian-backed proxy from firing ballistic missiles and drones at commercial ships and U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea. The operation continues, and it will continue in the coming days until we achieve the president’s objectives.
March 17th was the last time the Pentagon briefed the press and the American people—two days after the president’s ongoing military operation against the Houthis began. The initial wave of strikes hit over 30 targets at multiple locations, degrading a variety of Houthi capabilities. But the Houthis keep firing missiles, shooting down at least four American MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Source: raialkhalij + aljazeera