Iran war: US troops wounded in strike on Saudi base

The Israeli military said it had identified a launch of a missile from Yemen, early on Saturday.

It was the first such launch of the war. 

On Friday, Yemen's Houthis warned that they have their "fingers on the trigger" if new countries join the United States and Israel in military action against Iran.

In a televised statement, military spokesperson Yahya Saree also cautioned that any use of the Red Sea for what he called "hostile operations" against Iran would prompt a response.

Saree said the Iran-backed group is prepared to act if escalation against Iran and the so-called "axis of resistance" continues, though he did not specify what form that intervention might take.

Strikes were reported in several locations across the region in the early hours of Saturday morning:

• The United Arab Emrates Ministry of Defense said its forces were 'intercepting cruise missiles and UAVs (drones)' fired from Iran
• Explosions were heard in Damascus and nearby areas as Israeli air defenses intercepted Iranian missiles in Syrian airspace
• Bahrain's Interior Ministry said a fire in a facility targeted by Iran was extinguished, but provided no further details
• One person was killed and several others were wounded in Iranian attacks on Israel late Friday
• Israel's military said it launched strikes on Iranian 'regime targets' early Saturday

Donald Trump criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for declining to provide military support to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at a conference in Miami, the US president first targeted NATO allies France and the UK over burden-sharing.

He then turned to Germany, claiming Merz said, "This is not our war." That line were actually said by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. 

"Friedrich, the chancellor of Germany, he said, 'This is not our war'," Trump said, adding that "Ukraine is not our war, but we help them."

He again repeated threats that Washington might not come to their aid if asked.

"We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, hundreds, protecting them, and we would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we?" he said. "Why would we be there for them if they're not there for us? They weren't there for us."

DW's Rosie Birchard reported that German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul earlier seemed relieved after meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in France. 

Wadephul told reporters here there was "no disagreement" between the US and Germany. He said Washington was not asking for any military support until after the hostilities end.

An Iranian strike injured 12 US troops in Saudi Arabia, two of them seriously, sources told several news outlets.

In addition to the injuries, the attack on Prince Sultan Air Base also damaged KC-135 aerial refueling planes.

According to the sources, the Iranian attack involved missiles and drones.

It was not the first time the air base has been attacked by Iran.

In a previous incident, US Army Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, was wounded at the base on March 1. He died days later and was one of the 13 US troops who have been killed in the war so far.

More than 300 US military service members wounded since the war started on February 28.

Of those wounded, the US military said Friday that 273 had already returned to duty.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said he believed Iran would hold talks with Washington "this week" to end the monthlong war.

Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also sounded optimistic, saying the US military objectives in Iran would be completed "in the next couple weeks."

But despite the positive talk, the fighting continued, with Israel's military saying it launched strikes on Iranian "regime targets" early Saturday.

That comes as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would exact a "heavy price for Israeli crimes" after attacks on two of the country's largest steel factories and nuclear sites.

News overnight that a serious breach of US air defenses resulted in 12 service personnel being wounded may also not hasten the end to the war.

You can catch up with Friday's developments in the US-Israel war with Iran by clicking here.