US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to continue strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and inflict “real pain” on them and their Iranian backers, until they ceased all aggression towards American ships.

Washington will view “every shot” fired by the Houthis as a shot fired by Iran that could bring about “dire consequences”, he said. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, said on Friday that his country has no need for proxies and that the Houthis act in their own interests.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that Tehran does not need proxies in the region and that Yemen's Houthis, who are among the groups in the Middle East that Iran is aligned with,

The U.S. will soon have two carrier strike groups in the region as Washington steps up its pressure on Tehran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reinforced U.S. military capability in the Middle East with more warplanes.

Tensions are growing between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program with the U.S. president saying it could be bombed.

Russia said on Thursday that threats of military strikes against its ally Iran were unacceptable and warned that attacking the Islamic Republic could lead to potentially catastrophic results if nuclear installations were bombed.

Iran has now sent Khamenei’s response through its preferred mediator, the Sultanate of Oman. Iran’s letter is detailed and leaves the door open for negotiations, a source close to the Iranian establishment told me,

Tensions are growing between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program and the U.S. has not ruled out a military option