As the US-Iran war escalates, more countries in the Middle East have—officially or unofficially—entered the fray [12] over the past week. Saudi Arabia said July 30 that 14 countries [20] (out of 51 invitees) have so far joined an alliance it set up to protect [21] shipping and energy supplies through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The alliance, which the kingdom called defensive, formed in reaction to the blockade [22] by Houthi rebels against Saudi ships in the strait. One of the countries that has signed on is the internationally recognized (but largely exiled) government of Yemen, which would presumably be onside with reported plans by Saudi Arabia [23] to launch a ground offensive against the Houthis in central Yemen.
Meanwhile, the US and Saudi Arabia have launched joint strikes [13] against Iran-backed militias in Iraq [14] (the Popular Mobilization Forces [24]); Iran (or the Houthis) have hit Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan, where three [15] US soldiers [16] were killed in an attack on a military base; and the US also carried out what it called a "heavy wave [25]" of attacks on Iran, with Tehran saying three civilians—a couple and their child [26]—were killed on Qeshm island. It is difficult to see who has the power [17] (or the political will [18]) to end a conflict that is quickly spiralling out of control.
From The New Humanitarian [27], July 31. Lightly edited.
