In the coming week, the proxy war between Iran and the United States intensifies.

Sudan's conflict suffers another diplomatic setback, and the year's first big movie event, the Sundance Film Festival, takes place.

It's January 18, 2024, and time for the world next week. I'm Bob McMahon.

And I'm Carly and Robbins.

Carla, we're going to have to start in the Middle East again, as looks like it will be the pattern for the year.

We are more than 100 days now into the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Fears of a region-wide spread of conflict continue to grow. U.S. forces have maintained attacks on Iran-aligned Houthis based in Yemen,

and U.S. officials recently found evidence that implicates Iran in supplying Houthis with weaponry.

This is only going to add to the tensions between

the United States and Iran in and around the region. So, Carla, can you give us a sense of what we know

about Iran's involvement in the potentially widening war? This proxy war between Iran and the U.S.

and its allies has been going on for years, as you know, Bob. And Iran, of course,

is a main backer of Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. It also backs the Houthis in Yemen, as well as

Iranian-link groups, which have been targeting U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. But the fighting has

gotten a lot more intense since the start of the Gaza War, at the same time, you know, all sides look like they're

trying to avoid a direct confrontation. It's also not clear that that's possible to avoid,

especially in a multi-front war, and this really is a multi-front war and a time when passions

are so intense. And adding to the tensions, and this really is a surprise, in the last few days,

the Iranian Revolutionary

Guard has gotten directly involved. They've launched missiles against sites in Syria, in Pakistan,

and Iraq. And these are all countries with which it's somewhat allied. And these had said were

retaliation for recent terrorist attacks inside of Iran that killed 11 security personnel in

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