Yemen fighting intensifies as Tehran says it is ready if the US attacks

Fighting in Yemen has intensified as the Yemeni government announced a major offensive against the Houthis, while Tehran said it is ready to defend itself if the United States attacks, according to a live report on Sunday. The Yemeni government said its forces had launched a large-scale operation against Houthi positions, marking a sharp escalation in a conflict that has drawn in regional and international powers for years. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have in recent years expanded their reach by targeting shipping in the Red Sea, drawing Western naval deployments and repeated rounds of air strikes. Tehran, meanwhile, signalled that it is prepared for a direct confrontation, saying it is ready to defend itself if the US launches strikes against Iranian targets. The statement comes as American military planners weigh options against Iran and its regional allies, and as diplomacy between the two countries remains stalled. In a related move, the United States abruptly withdrew its B-1 bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford in Britain and redeployed them back to the US. The redeployment followed several "terrorism-related" arrests made outside the base, raising fears about the security of American military assets in Europe as the confrontation with Iran deepens. The withdrawal of the long-range bombers from one of the US Air Force's key forward operating locations in Europe underscores how seriously Washington is treating the threat environment. B-1s stationed at Fairford have in recent years been used to signal American reach across the Middle East and to reassure allies. The combination of a Yemeni government offensive, Iranian readiness statements, and the American bomber withdrawal points to a conflict that is widening beyond its current battlefields. Civilians in Yemen, already enduring one of the world's worst humanitarian crises after years of war, face the prospect of renewed large-scale fighting. With diplomatic channels strained and military postures hardening on all sides, each move raises the stakes of miscalculation. The Justice will continue to follow this developing story.