[00:00] Thatcher Collins: From Neural Newscast, I'm Thomas Keene.
[00:03] Thatcher Collins: And I'm Thatcher Collins.
[00:05] Thatcher Collins: Yemen-based Houthi militants have officially entered the widening conflict in the Middle East,
[00:11] Thatcher Collins: launching a batch of ballistic missiles at Israel on Saturday.
[00:14] Thatcher Collins: NBC News reports that while the Israel Defense Forces intercepted the incoming threats and issued an all-clear to civilians,
[00:23] Thatcher Collins: the group's entry into the war marks a dangerous new phase in the regional escalation.
[00:28] Announcer: The military impact of these strikes might be limited by aerial defenses, Thatcher, but the secondary effects on infrastructure are significant.
[00:37] Announcer: The Houthis are positioned along the Bob El Mandeb Strait, a narrow 16-mile-wide choke point
[00:44] Announcer: that serves as a critical artery for trade between Europe and Asia.
[00:48] Announcer: We have already seen the Suez Canal experience a 70% drop in traffic over the last two years.
[00:55] Announcer: With Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz,
[00:58] Announcer: the International Energy Agency is describing this as the worst disruption in the history of the oil market.
[01:04] Thatcher Collins: It is a situation that is rapidly moving beyond a local military exchange.
[01:10] Thatcher Collins: The Iranian government has signaled that the entire 1,400-mile Red Sea inlet is now considered a target zone.
[01:17] Thatcher Collins: specifically citing the presence of the American aircraft carrier United States S. Gerald R. Ford.
[01:23] Thatcher Collins: Any facilities supporting that carrier group are now being labeled as potential targets by Iran's armed forces.
[01:29] Thatcher Collins: This pressure on maritime corridors is turning a localized fight into an all-out regional economic war,
[01:36] Thatcher Collins: involving global energy systems and supply chains.
[01:39] Announcer: The human cost is also rising for United States forces stationed in the region.
[01:44] Announcer: On Friday, an Iranian missile hit the Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia.
[01:50] Announcer: Two United States officials confirmed that several American service members were injured,
[01:54] Announcer: and at least one aircraft was damaged.
[01:57] Announcer: Fortunately, none of the injuries are considered life-threatening,
[02:01] Announcer: but this brings the total number of Americans injured in the war to 303.
[02:06] Announcer: Since the conflict with Iran began, 15 United States service members have died.
[02:12] Thatcher Collins: The scale of a loss across the entire region is staggering.
[02:16] Thatcher Collins: At least 3,191 people have been killed since the war began.
[02:21] Thatcher Collins: As the Houthis align their operations with Hezbollah in Lebanon and groups in Iraq,
[02:25] Thatcher Collins: the geography of the combat zone continues to expand.
[02:29] Thatcher Collins: Analysts suggest that the Saturday missile strike was intended to give the international community a taste of the disruptions yet to come if the military escalation against Iran and its allies continues.
[02:40] Announcer: We will continue to track the impact on global shipping lanes and regional stability.
[02:45] Announcer: I'm Thomas Keene.
[02:46] Thatcher Collins: And I'm Thatcher Collins.
[02:48] Thatcher Collins: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[02:52] Thatcher Collins: View our AI transparency policy at neuralnewscast.com.