President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States had delivered a private message to Iran about Houthis responsible for attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
"We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared," Biden told reporters at the White House before departing to the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend.
The Houthi movement threatened a "strong and effective response" after the United States carried out another strike in Yemen on Friday night, further ratcheting up tensions as Washington vows to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned group.
The latest strike, which the US said hit a radar site, came a day after dozens of American and British strikes on Houthi facilities in Yemen.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday the initial strikes had hit the Houthis' ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used to threaten shipping.
He said Washington had no interest in a war with Yemen.
Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of "foreign terrorist organisations" in 2021, was asked by reporters on Friday whether he felt the term "terrorist" described the movement now. "I think they are," Biden said.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.
Israel intends to broaden its military operation in Rafah, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday told a senior aide to US President Joe Biden, who has warned against major action in the southern Gazan city that may risk mass civilian casualties.
Israel describes Rafah, which abuts the Gaza Strip's border with the Egyptian Sinai, as the last stronghold of Hamas Islamists whose governing and combat capabilities it has been trying to dismantle during the more than seven-month-old war.
After weeks of public disagreements with Washington over the Rafah planning, Israel on May 6 ordered Pale
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te asked China on Monday to stop its military and political threats, saying in his inauguration speech that peace is the only choice and that Beijing had to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.
South Africa's constitutional court ruled on Monday that former president Jacob Zuma was not eligible to run for parliament in this month's election, a decision that was closely watched as it has the potential to affect the outcome of the election.