Houthis Strike Government Base, Killing 53... Will US and Israel Resume Iran Operations?

[Anchor]

An attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen using ballistic missiles has hit a government military base, leaving at least 53 people dead. With major facilities in Saudi Arabia also coming under attack, tensions are escalating across the Middle East, prompting the United States and Israel to consider resuming military operations against Iran.

Here is correspondent Lee Hanseok reporting from Washington.

[Reporter]

Casualties lie scattered around a heavily damaged military barracks.

On October 19 local time, a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen precisely targeted a government military base in southern Yemen.

At least 53 people, including new recruits, were killed and some 200 others were injured.

This marks the largest-scale bloodshed since the Houthis declared an end to the truce in July.

The Houthi rebels claimed to have carried out massive retaliatory strikes against six locations on the Saudi Arabian mainland as well.

Targets included the Aramco oil facility in the Red Sea port of Yanbu, King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh, and major air force bases.

[Yahya Saree / Houthi Military Spokesperson : In our first operation, we targeted the Aramco facilities in Yanbu twice. We hit our targets accurately, causing massive fires at the destination.]

Stunningly hit by the Houthis' relentless attacks, Saudi Arabia has ultimately postponed its premier investment event, the Future Investment Initiative, often dubbed the Davos in the Desert, to next year.

Amid the fallout from the conflict with Iran spreading across the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video of his phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly backed him.

[Benjamin Netanyahu / Israeli Prime Minister : Donald, we have unfinished business. Just as you said, we will finish it together.]

[Donald Trump / U.S. President : You are a great warrior. We're going to prove it.]

Reports have also emerged that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made a surprise visit to Israel without prior notice on October 19 local time and met with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Foreign media outlets reported that the two countries are discussing concrete plans to resume large-scale military operations against Iran.

Citing multiple high-ranking Iranian officials, the Financial Times reported that in response to U.S. pressure, Iran could resort to an extreme hardline card by withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and officially declaring nuclear weaponization.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Video Reported by Oh Jung-shik, Video Edited by Jung Sung-hoon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.