Iran-backed Houthi rebels clash with Yemeni government forces and other Mideast developments

Clashes continued between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and government forces in Yemen, with reports of soldiers killed in Taiz. The Houthis have been attacking military facilities and oil infrastructure in neighboring Saudi Arabia and hitting commercial ships in the Red Sea's Bab el-Mandeb strait. Separately, an oil spill near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz has raised environmental concerns regarding regional conflicts.