Underscoring the poor optics of the United States leaving no carrier strike group in the Red Sea region for the time being was another successful Houthi hit on a merchant vessel. Namely, the Transworld Navigator. This is a vessel which the Houthis have in the past attempted to strike. The Houthis continue to make extremely unverified claims of strikes on vessels in the Mediterranean and on the Eisenhower, the American carrier which recently left the region.
Netanyahu today declared that the "intensive" phase of hostilities in Gaza is drawing to a close, perhaps a precursor to a declaration that Hamas has been militarily defeated. Such an announcement has been rumored to be coming soon. However, Netanyahu asserted that there would continue to be combing operations in Gaza, to prevent Hamas and other groups from reestablishing themselves in force. Netanyahu's administration has still yet to put forth a detailed plan for what Gaza might look like once Hamas' abilities to govern have been quashed, something that is becoming increasingly relevant as Israel is growing closer to announcing the de facto defeat of Hamas. This is quite possibly all a precursor to a buildup for an invasion of southern Lebanon. Today, multiple militias from Iraq (including one of the most powerful, Kataib Hezbollah) pledged to travel to Lebanon and fight alongside Hezbollah if Israel launched an invasion.