MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
More than 300 projectiles were heading toward Israel on Sunday, The New York Times reported citing two Israeli officials.

According to the officials, while most of the projectiles were fired from Iran, a small number also came from Iraq and Yemen. The officials further detailed that Iran launched 185 drones, 110 surface-to-surface missiles, and 36 cruise missiles.

Iran has initiated a significant aerial attack on Israel, deploying dozens of drones and potentially missiles, as confirmed by both US and Israeli officials this Saturday.

In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that "in recent years, and even more so in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran." The attack was widely anticipated by US and Israeli intelligence agencies, which have been on high alert, expecting a forceful response from Tehran to last week's attack on Iran's embassy in Damascus, Syria.

According to Iranian media, the drones were launched from Yemen and may have been Iran's HESA Shahed 136, a type of kamikaze uncrewed aerial vehicle designed to attack ground targets from a distance. The Shahed 136, also known as Geran-2, is intended to overwhelm enemy air defenses by being fired in salvoes.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that its forces intercepted an unmanned aerial system launched by the Yemen-based Houthis over the Red Sea, whilst also destroying the group's air defense system on Monday.

Additionally, US forces neutralized a ground control station in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. In a separate incident that occurred on Sunday, the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile toward the Gulf of Aden where a coalition ship was escorting M/V Hope Island, a Marshall Islands-flagged, UK-owned, Italian-operated cargo ship.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that its forces intercepted one inbound anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) along with two unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by the Yemen-based Houthis toward the USS Gravely (pictured) in the Red Sea. Additionally, US forces neutralized a mobile surface-to-air missile system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, CENTCOM stated on Thursday. There were no injuries or damage reported by US vessels.

The #UnitedKingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced in a post on the social media platform X it received information about an attack on a vessel 85 nautical miles east of the Yemeni port of Aden. According to the report, the "Master of a merchant ship has reported an explosion in close proximity to the vessel." It was noted that all crew members were safe and no damages to the vessel were reported. The UKMTO advised vessels to pass through the area with caution and report any suspicious activity. Earlier, the #UnitedStates Central Command (CENTCOM) said that they "successfully engaged and destroyed" one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that the #Houthis militant group launched toward the #RedSea.

The #UnitedStates Central Command (CENTCOM) reported it repelled a close-range ballistic missile launched from Houthi-controlled areas in #Yemen towards the USS Laboon in the Red Sea overnight.The announcement also noted that CENTCOM and a coalition vessel successfully destroyed two unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched from the same Houthi-controlled region.CENTCOM said these actions were taken to counter an "imminent threat" to both merchant vessels and US Navy ships, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring the safety of international waters in the #RedSea.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that its forces executed six strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, destroying 18 anti-ship missiles and an unmanned underwater vessel on Monday.

CENTCOM also confirmed the Houthi assault in the Red Sea on Pinocchio, a Singaporean-owned, Liberian-flagged merchant vessel, stating that the attack "did not impact the vessel and there were no injuries or damage reported," whilst the group claimed it achieved a "direct hit."