why now and where will it lead? we ll speak to the national security council s john kirby about all of that straight ahead. plus, just three days away now, the final stretch for republican candidate in iowa. how they re hoping to get people to the caucuses with even a foot of snow potentially arriving. and it s not just in iowa, that snow is coming down hard across the midwest and the great lakes. we ll have a full forecast of what to expect there and across the country. hello on this friday, it is 10:00 eastern. i m ana cabrera reporting from new york. we begin with that breaking news, what could turn into a major escalation of the conflict in the middle east. the united states and the uk launching strikes against houthi targets in yemen hitting airports, military bases and weapons facilities. these strikes in response to weeks of attacks by the militants on commercial ships in the red sea, and now the houthis vowing to retaliate saying those involved will, quote, p
confrontation with iran? reporter: well, that is a big concern, ana. u.s. officials have said they don t believe iran right now wants to get dragged into a direct military confrontation with the united states. we ve certainly seen what a lot of observers of hezbollah say is restraint by them or an effort not to get drawn fully into a war. when it comes to some of the other iran-backed proxy groups. i want you to hear from the israeli navy commander and has been tracking the houthis for years. take a look. if the u.s. starts bombing the houthis in yemen, is there a risk we end up in a direct war with iran? no, i don t think so. i don t think because iran doesn t want a regional war. iran wants to fight against israel but to do it in a level that will not escalate to a
the strikes further escalate the war in the middle east, which the biden administration has been seeking to avoid and draws the united states deeper into the conflict. u.s. officials said american aircraft launched from the u.s.s. eisenhower and bases in the region to hit at least a dozen targets in yemen, including airports, military bases, and weapons storage facilities. the purpose the pentagon said was to deter the yemeni militants known as the houthis who have carried out more than two dozen attacks on commercial vessels in the red sea since hamas s october 7th massacre and israel s devastating response in gaza. the houthis who are backed by iran, say they only target ships bound for or connected to israel, a claim the biden administration disputes. in a statement, president biden says the operation sends a clear message that the united states and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our
shorts. ana. wow, that s hardcore. priscilla thompson, steve kornacki, thank you both. i know you ve got a busy next few days. get the coffee ready. get the hand warmers ready, the ear muffs, and we re energizing you. our spirit is with you both. thank you so much. up next here on ana cabrera reports, a winter blast, the blinding blizzards on the way this weekend. are you in the storm s path? plus, fallout in the middle east after u.s. and its allies launched military strikes in yemen. we will speak with the national security council coordinator for strategic communications, john kirby next.
shia, yemen. there have been a long civil war with the yemeni government. just ten years ago the houthis took the capital saana, they re iranian-backed, and that s very, very important and they carry some of the mantras about the region, oppression and islam. there has been a terrible civil war in yemen where 150,000 have died. so the houthisr nds are aggrieved. they ve latched on to israel hamas. however, they ve already been out there creating substantial mischief, and they right now are the power dominant in yemen. they re very, very well-equipped by the iranians, and that is important to mention.