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Residents of Israel's southern Negev region say they've been left defenceless against Iranian missile fire, and have called the government's response "a complete failure" rooted in years of policy neglect.

Avi Dabush, the executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights, told Middle East Eye that Saturday's deadly strikes on Dimona, a city known for its proximity to Israeli nuclear facilities, and the nearby city of Arad, exposed deep gaps in civilian protection.

"The government's response to the missile fire is a complete failure," Dabush said.

"The state spends hundreds of billions on various things, but not on protection," he said, adding: "action should have been taken long ago".

His comments come after one of the heaviest rounds of Iranian missile strikes on Israeli territory since the start of the US and Israeli war on Iran, with around 30 people injured in Dimona and 115 in Arad.

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Yemen’s Houthis fired missiles at Israel on Saturday for the first time since the war on Iran broke out a month ago. 

In a video statement, military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had launched ballistic missiles at Israeli military sites. 

“[We] have carried out the first military operation using a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting sensitive Israeli military sites in southern occupied Palestine,” Saree said.

Israel’s military said it had "identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat".

There were no reports of any casualties or damage in Israel.

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The number of American service members wounded in the Iran war has grown beyond 300, with more than two dozen troops injured this week from attacks on a Saudi air base.

Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base in an attack Friday that injured at least 15 troops, including five seriously, according to two people briefed on the matter. U.S. officials initially reported that at least 10 U.S. troops were injured, including two who were seriously wounded.

More American forcehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/HEgYnynbUAAWOXX?format=jpg&name=smalls are reaching the Middle East, with a Navy ship carrying about 2,500 Marines having now arrived in the region, U.S. Central Command announced Saturday. The USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, as well as the elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit that are aboard, are based in Japan. They were conducting exercises in the area around Taiwan when the order came to deploy to the Middle East almost two weeks ago.

Central Command said that in addition to the Marines, the Tripoli also brings transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault assets to the region. The USS Boxer and two other ships, along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit, have also been ordered to the region from San Diego.

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Russia is reportedly completing a shipment of drones, medicine, and food to Iran, signaling a potential escalation in support for Tehran following recent US and Israeli strikes.

According to the Financial Times (FT), Russian and Iranian officials began secretly discussing drone deliveries days after US attacks on Tehran, with shipments already underway in early March and expected to be finalized by the end of the month.

If confirmed, the transfer of drones would mark the first known instance of Moscow providing lethal military support to Iran since the start of the conflict.

Western intelligence sources cited by the FT suggest Russia is aiming not only to bolster Iran’s battlefield capabilities but also to help stabilize the regime politically amid mounting pressure.

Publicly, Moscow says it is providing humanitarian support to Tehran, noting that more than 13 tonnes of medicine have already been delivered via Azerbaijan, with further shipments planned.

Privately, however, Russia has reportedly provided Tehran with satellite imagery, targeting data, and intelligence support, according to FT sources familiar with the matter.

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Iran has rejected a US proposal to end the war with the Islamic Republic, setting out its own conditions for peace according to state media, even as Iran's foreign minister said Tehran does not plan to negotiate with the US.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran intended to keep fighting, after US President Donald Trump said Washington had proposed a peace plan.

"At present, our policy is the continuation of resistance," Araghchi said on state TV.

"We do not intend to negotiate. So far, no negotiations have taken place, and I believe our position is completely principled," adding that Iran is sending messages through mediators but has not spoken to the US.

Araghchi, however, added that Iran demands a permanent end to the war and compensation for destruction. He also taunted the US, saying it had failed to protect Gulf states despite its bases in the region.

His statements came after a report detailing Iran's response to a US proposal to end the war. 

"Iran has responded negatively" to the American proposal, an unidentified official told Iran’s Press TV on Wednesday, referring to a 15-point ceasefire deal floated by the Trump administration and delivered to the Iranians by Pakistan.

"The end of the war will occur when Iran decides it should end, not when Trump envisions its conclusion," the Iranian official added.

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The Pentagon has ordered elements of the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to deploy to the Middle East, significantly expanding US forces in the region as President Donald Trump weighs both diplomatic and military options toward Iran.

According to US officials, The New York Times (NYT) and Financial Times (FT), around 2,000-3,000 troops from the division’s Immediate Response Force – capable of deploying globally within 18 hours – have been directed to move.

As per the FT, the dispatch of elite paratroopers along with two Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), will add roughly 10,000 troops to the 50,000 already stationed in the region.

The USS Tripoli, carrying about 2,200 members of the 31st MEU, is expected to arrive in the Middle East by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, with an additional 4,500 troops – including 2,200 Marines from the 11th MEU – is expected to arrive in three to four weeks, FT’s report adds.

The move marks a significant escalation and brings US forces closer to readiness for a potential ground operation. Analysts cited by the FT noted that the presence of both airborne troops and Marine Expeditionary Units suggests preparations for scenarios beyond airstrikes.

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