Houthi official says Saudi airstrikes leave 3 dead, and other Mideast developments

A Houthi official said Tuesday that Saudi warplanes struck Yemen, killing three people, including two children, while Human Rights Watch accused the Houthi rebels of possible war crimes with its attacks on commercial vessels.The renewed fighting in Yemen is endangering civilians and threatening shipping through the Red Sea, a route that has become more important due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. launched its war against Iran.The Associated Press could not independently verify the Houthi official's claim. The official did not say what the Saudi warplanes had targeted.Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.Anees al Asbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, said in a post on X on Tuesday that Saudi airstrikes killed three people, including two children, in Yemen's Taiz province. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify that claim.Al-Asbahi said another two other people were injured in the strikes. The escalation comes as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea, bolstering their ability to control a key maritime sh...