Iran-backed Houthis poised to shut Suez Canal hours after Trump's warning

The Iranian -backed Houthis could shut the Suez Canal after the Yemeni militia marked their involvement in the Middle East conflict by firing a missile towards Israel, experts fear. This comes hours Donald Trump suggested he was considering sending troops into the region, a move Iran strongly warned him not to do. Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of Media Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, believes the Houthis may look to target ships in the the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a choke point which leads to the Suez Canal. The Strait of Hirmuz has already been closed and shutting another crucial shipping route could potentially put a huge dent in the global economy. Professor Elmasry said: "If they decided to move to shut down Bab al-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea and, ultimately, the Suez Canal, then we would have two major choke points [closed] along with the Strait of Hormuz. These are major international shipping waterways for international trade, so I think it can be very significant from that standpoint." Three Lebanese journalists have been killed in a targeted Israeli strike on their media car in southern Lebanon, local media reported. Ali Shoeib, a reporter for Al Manar TV—a network run by the militant group Hezbollah—and Al Mayadin journalists Fatima and Mohamed Fetoni were killed in an airstrike in the town of Jezzine. Iran has claimed that part of its Arak nuclear facility has been struck by US and Israeli forces. Iranian state media said the Khondab heavy water reactor was hit in two separate strikes, but stated there were no casualties. A political and security deputy in Iran’s Markazi Province said the Khondab Heavy Water Complex, part of the Arak nuclear site, was targeted in two stages by what he described as "American and Zionist enemy" attacks. He added: "These attacks did not result in any human casualties and, due to safety measures that had been put in place in advance, there is no danger threatening the people of the area," in a statement published on the Telegram channel of Fars News Agency. US Central Command shared a video on X capturing strikes against Iranian naval vessels. For decades, Iranian naval vessels have threatened and harassed global shipping in regional waters, but those days are over. pic.twitter.com/J4WUwpfU24 The US President referred to the Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil shipping route and key point in the Iran war, as the "Strait of Trump". He said: "We have to open up the Strait of Trump, I mean, the Strait of Hormuz," prompting an array of laughter in the background. Trump continued: "Excuse me. I'm so sorry, such a terrible mistake." Some social media users said it was "clear" that Trump made the statement on purpose and was "just messing with the name". Another said the US President was simply "winding people up". Ashab al-Kahf, an Iraqi Shia extremist militant group that is described as a proxy formation of Iran, said it will start targeting US and Israeli interests in Jordan as of today. The Tehran Fire Department said 25 people have been rescued from rubble after a US-Israeli attack on a residential area of Sabounchi Street in the city. Tiger Woods has been released on bail after being charged with driving under the influence following his involvement in a car crash in Florida.