Houthis claim attack on Israel, Zelenskyy in UAE

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed an attempted missile strike on Israel, their first such attack of the war.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited the UAE to discuss defense cooperation.

DW has more.

Houthis claim missile strike on Israel launched from Yemen, the first since the war started
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited the UAE to discuss defense cooperation
President Donald Trump says US doesn't "have to be there" for NATO
Trump envoy says Iran may hold talks with Washington "this week" to end war
Here are the developments in the US-Israel war with Iran on Saturday, March 28, 2026:
Pakistan to host Saudi, Turkey, Egypt for talks on Iran war
Foreign ministers from Pakistan , Saudi Arabia , Turkey and Egypt are set to meet in Islamabad for talks on the war in the Middle East on Sunday and Monday.

"During the visit, the foreign ministers will hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region," read a statement from the Pakistani foreign ministry, which said the ministers would also hold a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif .

According to the AFP news agency, Sharif spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for an hour on Saturday morning as part of preparations for the meeting.

The pair have spoken previously in recent weeks about the conflict and Pakistan's commitment to bringing it to an end.

Pezeshkian told Sharif that ‌"trust" ⁠is ⁠needed to facilitate talks on the conflict, ​the ‌prime minister's office said on Saturday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Sunday, said the meeting was initially planned to be held in Turkey.

"However, since our Pakistani counterparts are required to remain in their country, we moved the meeting to Pakistan," he told the private A Haber broadcaster late on Friday.

Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as the conflict drags on, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.

Islamabad has longstanding links with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, while Prime Minister Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, the head of the armed forces, reportedly enjoy a good personal rapport with US President Donald Trump .

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Friday that he expected a direct US-Iran meeting in Pakistan "very soon" — but didn't elaborate or reveal the source of his optimism.

US sends 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran via Pakistan
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Ukraine's Zelenskyy discusses defense cooperation in UAE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday morning that Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to "cooperate in the field of security and defense" as the Gulf region continues to come under attack from Iranian drone strikes.

"Ukraine has relevant expertise in this area," said Zelenskyy in a statement after a meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and senior Emirati military officers.

"Our cities, unfortunately, have been under daily attack for four years of full-scale war," he continued.

"[Ukraine has] developed an appropriate protection system that delivers a significant interception rate against enemy drones and missiles.

This systematic approach and integration of experience is exactly what we are offering to our partners."
Ukrainian cities have been coming under almost daily bombardment from Russian drones for over four years now amid Moscow's ongoing full-scale invasion of its neighbor .

Many of the drones are Iranian-made "Shahed" drones, which Tehran is now launching against Gulf states in response to attacks by the United States and Israel .

"For Ukraine, this is a matter of principle: terror must not prevail anywhere in the world," he said, adding that the war in Middle East, and in particular the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz , directly affects global oil markets.

"Protection must be sufficient everywhere."
Kuwait: 'Significant' damage to airport radar system
Kuwait 's civil aviation authority reported on Saturday that the radar system at the country's main international airport had sustained "significant" damage in "several" drone attacks.

The attacks on the tiny Gulf country caused no casualties, a civil aviation spokesperson told the official state news agency.

Oman reports drone strike on major port, UAE confirms injuries
Authorities in the Gulf state of Oman said a foreign worker had been injured in an Iranian drone strike on the major port of Salalah on Saturday morning.

Two drones reportedly hit the port, located in the far south of Oman close to the border with Yemen , also causing "limited" damage to a crane.

Sometimes referred to as the " Switzerland of the Middle East," Oman has tried to use its traditional neutrality to mediate between Iran, Israel and the United States — but that diplomatic position is coming under strain in the face of Iranian attacks.

Oman: Iran's quiet Gulf mediator under strain
Meanwhile, authorities in the United Arab Emirates said that five Indian nationals in Abu Dhabi had been injured by "falling debris" following the "successful interception of a ballistic missile" by air defense systems.

The injuries were described as ranging from "moderate to minor."
Yemen's Houthis claim first attack on Israel since start of Iran war
Yemen's Islamist Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel on Saturday morning — their first since Israel and the United States attacked Iran four weeks ago.

A military spokesman for the Houthis issued the claim in a statement aired Saturday morning by the rebels' Al-Masirah satellite television station.

The attack came just hours after a vague statement on Friday in which the Iran-backed rebels said they would join the war on the side of Tehran.

They said the attack — allegedly part of a barrage ⁠of ​missiles — came after Israel and the US continued their strikes on infrastructure ​in Iran, ‌Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories, ​adding ⁠that their operations would continue until ⁠the "aggression" ​on all fronts ends.

The Israeli military said it intercepted the missile (see earlier).

WATCH: How insurance drives Hormuz traffic
Responding to US and Israeli attacks, Iran has effectively blocked the strait — allowing some "non-hostile" ships through while blocking vessels linked to its enemies.

But Iran's foreign minister says ships aren't moving mainly for another reason entirely: insurance.

Israel reports war's first missile attack from Yemen
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:
Trump criticizes Merz over refusal to back Strait of Hormuz mission
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.

US service personnel hurt after Iranian strike on Saudi base
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 .