Israel prepares to strike Iran’s energy sites as Yemen, Iran and Hezbollah launch joint attacks

[0:00] Yemen's Houthi group has announced it carried out a joint long-range attack on Israel alongside Iranian and Hezbollah forces. [0:07] It says it fired a ballistic missile targeting Lod Airport in the Jaffa area and key military targets. [0:16] The Yemeni armed forces, with God's help, carried out their fifth military operation [0:20] using a Fisal ballistic missile and several drones targeting Lod Airport in the Jaffa area [0:26] and vital military targets belonging to the Israeli enemy in southern occupied Palestine. [0:31] This operation was conducted jointly with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, [0:35] the Iranian army, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and it successfully achieved its objectives. [0:41] Hundreds of people took to the streets in Israel on Saturday to demand an end to the war in Iran. [0:47] Protesters gathered in Tel Aviv's main square, as well as in several major cities, including Jerusalem and Haifa. [0:54] Demonstrations are held every Saturday against the Netanyahu government. [0:59] Well, Rob McBride joins us now live from the Jordanian capital, Amman. [1:02] Rob, so Israel... [1:03] Israel has been coming under attack from Iran, from Hezbollah, and from the Houthis in Yemen. [1:08] Meanwhile, we've heard an Israeli official saying that they're ready to hit Iranian energy facilities [1:13] and that they're just waiting for the green light to be given from the U.S. [1:17] What else are you learning about all this? [1:22] Yeah, that's right. [1:23] It does seem as though senior defense officials in Israel have been briefing a number of media outlets in Israel. [1:30] And so we are getting this picture being reported about the Israeli military preparing, [1:36] what the next phase of this air campaign against Iran will look like, [1:40] with this particular focus now on, it seems, energy infrastructure, [1:44] with talk about energy plants, power plants, and electricity distribution all being targeted, [1:52] very much in line with the Trump administration, [1:56] with the possible threatened escalation in this air campaign, [2:01] and with the military apparently saying that they will be ready to go within a few days or so, [2:06] at least in the next coming days, [2:07] which seems to fit in sync exactly with this 48-hour ultimatum issued now by President Donald Trump. [2:15] Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu on Saturday evening issued a video statement [2:21] just explaining exactly where the campaign is up to in his view. [2:29] And as we know, the air campaign has been expanding in its targets away from just military and regime targets. [2:36] In recent weeks, now looking at the more broader infrastructure of the whole of Iran, [2:42] with Netanyahu explaining that the dual, so-called dual-use industries [2:47] that serve both civilian and military uses are now targets, such as the steel industry. [2:52] He says that Iran has lost 70 percent of its steelmaking capacity, [2:56] the justification being that steel from that is used in armaments production. [3:00] The same goes for petrochemicals, which is now, he says, the focus of Israeli air force strikes, [3:06] because some of the materials from there are used in the production of missiles, [3:11] which now legitimizes, in his view, that they become a target. [3:15] Meanwhile, one of those missiles we have had fired in the early hours of this morning, [3:20] it's Sunday, which was fired from Iran. [3:24] It was intercepted over the southern city of Beersheba, [3:27] where it broke up with no casualties being reported. [3:30] And, Rob, as all of this is playing out, Israel is also intensifying its invasion [3:35] of Iran. [3:36] What's the messaging like from the Israeli government to members of the public [3:41] when it comes to this occupation and the goals that they've set out for Israel? [3:50] Yeah, it does seem as though the Israeli authorities are trying to brace the public [3:55] for much more tougher fighting to come, also to give justification [3:59] for why they are escalating this operation, [4:03] emphasizing the threat, as they put it, from Hezbollah, [4:07] saying that it is still a very potent force, [4:09] that it still possesses numerous multiple rockets that get fired [4:15] from these multiple rocket launches across the border into northern Israel. [4:19] In fact, it says it has enough to fire barrages of 200 rockets per day [4:24] for a campaign of five months. [4:27] So while there is still a majority support throughout Israel, [4:32] the vast majority of people still think that war should be waged, [4:37] there is a minority. [4:39] Who is against the war, the way it's being fought, [4:43] which is becoming more vocal. [4:45] And we have seen on Saturday evening these larger protests gathering in cities [4:50] like Haifa, Tel Aviv, people calling for an end of the war [4:53] with a number of clashes and a number of people being arrested, Mohamed. [4:58] All right, that's how this year's Rob McBride live for us [5:00] with all the latest from the Jordanian capital, Amman. [5:02] Rob, thanks so much for unpacking all that for us.