A Multi-Front War Takes Shape
The Iran war just got a lot bigger.
As Operation Epic Fury enters its second month, the conflict has exploded beyond a U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran into a sprawling, multi-front confrontation that now stretches from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi to the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. In the span of just 24 hours, three major escalations have fundamentally changed the character of this war — and raised urgent questions about how far it can spread.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired their first missile at Israel since the conflict began. Iran unleashed a devastating five-round missile barrage on Tel Aviv over five hours. And a ballistic missile was intercepted over Abu Dhabi, injuring five people and sparking fires from falling debris.
All of this as Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers the war would be over in “weeks, not months” — and the Pentagon quietly considered deploying up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East.
Houthis Enter the Fight: First Missile From Yemen
In what may be the most significant strategic development of the past week, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed early Saturday that they detected and intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen — the first such attack from Houthi-controlled territory since the war began on February 28.
The missile targeted southern Israel, triggering air raid sirens in Beersheba. Israeli defense systems successfully intercepted the threat, and no injuries were reported.
But the symbolism is enormous.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the attack on Houthi-controlled television, stating that the rebels fired “a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli military sites” in southern Israel. He said operations would continue until the “aggression” on all fronts ends.
The Houthis had been notably quiet during the first month of the war, even as their Iranian patrons traded heavy blows with the U.S. and Israel. Their entry into the conflict now raises a critical question: will they resume attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea?
During the earlier Gaza conflict, the Houthis disrupted global trade by attacking vessels in the Red Sea corridor, forcing major shipping companies to reroute around Africa. A repeat of that campaign, on top of Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, could deliver another devastating blow to global energy markets already reeling from the conflict.
Five Rounds of Missiles Rain Down on Tel Aviv
The Houthi strike came on the heels of one of Iran’s most intense missile attacks on Israeli soil since the war began.
On Friday evening and into Saturday morning, Iran launched at least five separate rounds of missiles at Tel Aviv over a span of approximately five hours, triggering repeated air defense activations and warning sirens across central Israel.
One person was killed in the attacks. Emergency responders from Magen David Adom reported a heavy presence at the scene of a missile impact in Tel Aviv, where a main road was partially cordoned off. According to Home Front Command official Colonel Miki David, a residential apartment was struck by a cluster munition — a weapon that explodes mid-air and scatters bomblets across a wide area.
The use of cluster munitions against a residential neighborhood marks a grim escalation. Both Iran and Israel have previously accused each other of deploying cluster bombs during the conflict.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the missile barrage was part of Iran’s ongoing retaliatory campaign, with Israel and the U.S. having launched Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury on February 28 with the stated aim of creating conditions for regime change in Tehran.
Abu Dhabi Under Fire: Missile Intercepted Over UAE Capital
The war’s geographic spread was further underscored early Saturday when Abu Dhabi authorities confirmed they intercepted a ballistic missile over the UAE capital.
Falling debris from the intercept struck the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) area, sparking two fires and injuring five people with minor to moderate wounds, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
While the UAE has not been a primary belligerent in the conflict, the attack demonstrates Iran’s willingness — or that of its proxies — to strike at Gulf states that host U.S. military assets or are perceived as supporting the American-Israeli campaign.
The incident follows weeks of escalating tensions across the Persian Gulf region, with Iran’s IRGC declaring on Friday that passage through any corridor in the Strait of Hormuz is now prohibited — a dramatic escalation of the maritime blockade that has sent oil prices soaring.
Rubio: ‘Weeks, Not Months’ — But Pentagon Plans Say Otherwise
Amid this cascade of escalation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck an optimistic tone at a G7 meeting in France on Friday, telling reporters that Washington expects the war to conclude in “weeks, not months” and that the U.S. can meet all its objectives without deploying ground troops.
But behind the scenes, the picture looks considerably different.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon is actively considering sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give President Trump more military options — even as he publicly weighs peace talks with Tehran. The move would be the largest single troop deployment since the war began and signals that military planners are preparing for a longer, more complex campaign than the administration’s public statements suggest.
President Trump himself seemed to acknowledge the war’s uncertain trajectory during a speech at the Future Investment Initiative Summit in Miami Beach on Friday. While touting progress in negotiations, he stated the war is “not finished yet” and that the U.S. has “another 3,554” targets left to hit.
He also used the occasion to take a swipe at NATO allies for their absence from the conflict, calling it a “tremendous mistake” and hinting at reduced American commitment to the alliance going forward.
“They just weren’t there,” Trump said. “It’s going to make a lot of money for the United States because we spent hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO.”
By the Numbers: One Month of Operation Epic Fury
As the war enters its second month, the toll continues to mount:
- 303 U.S. troops wounded since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28, with 273 having returned to duty
- 12 service members wounded in Friday’s Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, with two in serious condition
- At least one KC-135 refueling aircraft hit and caught fire during the Saudi base attack
- Over 90 military targets destroyed on Iran’s Kharg Island
- 120+ historical sites in Iran reported damaged by U.S.-Israeli strikes
- Multiple Iranian nuclear facilities struck by Israel, with the IAEA unable to verify Iran’s current enrichment levels
The State Department has also updated travel advisories, moving Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain from Level 2 to Level 3 warnings, urging Americans to reconsider travel to the region.
What Comes Next?
The war is now on at least four active fronts: direct U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, Iranian missile attacks on Israel, proxy attacks from Yemen’s Houthis, and strikes against Gulf state targets including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Trump has paused planned strikes on Iran’s civilian power grid for an additional 10 days — extending a deadline he had previously set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to April 6. The pause was framed as a goodwill gesture tied to ongoing diplomatic back-channels, but it also reflects the political risk of targeting civilian infrastructure, an action that many international observers have warned would constitute a war crime.
Meanwhile, Iran’s IRGC has fully shut down the Strait of Hormuz to all vessel traffic — a chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply normally flows. The economic fallout has already been compared to the 1970s oil crisis, with the International Energy Agency warning this disruption could be worse than the Ukraine war and the oil shocks of five decades ago combined.
With the Houthis now actively joining the fight, the prospect of Red Sea shipping disruptions returning adds yet another layer of economic pain to an already strained global economy.
The question is no longer whether this war will expand. It already has. The question now is whether anyone can stop it.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.