DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Risk of a global recession is minimal, IMF economist says — would take 'a lot to derail'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"When we do the risk assessment around that baseline, the chances that we would have something like a global recession is fairly minimal. The Washington DC-based institute this week nudged its global growth outlook slightly higher to 3.2% in 2024 and projects the same rate in 2025. One of the International Monetary Fund's top economists signals little risk of a global recession, despite the ongoing rumblings of geopolitical uncertainty. That has all combined with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which had its biggest wider impact on energy prices in Europe in 2022. And that's one of the big risks that we do see, the implications that could have for oil prices could be substantial.

Persons: Gourinchas, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Karen Tso, Gita Gopinath, we're Organizations: U.S, IMF, Washington DC, International Monetary, Palestinian, Hamas, CNBC Locations: Europe, New York, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Gaza, Red, Yemeni, Russia, Ukraine, Asia, Israel, Iran

☆ Israel's war cabinet is locked between restraint and revenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Monday meeting of Israel's five-person war cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, concluded without comment on whether the Jewish state will honor its pledge to "exact a price" from Tehran or concede to calls for a measured response from international leaders. The prolonged deliberation came after the Israeli military said that Iran on Saturday fired more than 300 drones and missiles at its soil. It claimed that it and international allies eliminated 99% of these attacks as part of its now-dubbed "Iron Shield" operation. The Israeli war cabinet is set to meet again on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Concerns are mounting that the conflict — rooted in the Oct. 7 terror attack undertaken by Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel's retaliatory war campaign in the Gaza Strip — will seep into the broader Middle East region.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordan, —, Bashar Assad's Organizations: Saturday, Reuters, CNBC, Washington, NBC, Palestinian, Hamas, Yemeni Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, U.S, France, Iranian, Damascus, Syria, Gaza

☆ Israel vows to 'exact a price' after Iran's attack. Here's what analysts expect could happen
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But Israel will need to strike a delicate balance, he noted, highlighting that "they don't want an overt conflict with Iran." Iran has said the attack on Israel was in response to an Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Damascus, Syria earlier this month. The Islamic regime has accused Israel of the April 1 attack which killed seven Iranian military personnel, including senior commanders. Israel and Iran have been at odds for decades, with Iran funding and supporting groups opposing Israel including Palestinian militant group Hamas. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has often been referred to as a proxy war between Israel and Iran.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Joe Biden, Ryan Bohl, Bohl, CNBC's, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Amir Saeid Iravani, Bashar al, Assad, David Roche, Roche, Israel's, What's Organizations: Reuters, Middle East, Rane, NBC News, United Nations, Palestinian, Hamas, Yemeni, Independent, CNBC Locations: Gaza, Ashkelon, Israel, Reuters Israel, Iran, North Africa, Damascus, Syria, Tehran, United States

☆ Israel says 300 Iranian drones and missiles downed in ‘unprecedented’ overnight attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Iranians are waving Iranian flags and a Palestinian flag as they celebrate Iran's IRGC UAV and missile attack against Israel on April 14, 2024. Iran rained a deluge of drones and missiles on Israel on Saturday night in response to a suspected Israeli strike that killed top Iranian officials in Syria, in a deep escalation of Middle East tensions. Last night marked the first instance of a direct attack on Israel from Iranian territory. Iran vowed revenge after a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, which killed several top Iranian military commanders. The European Union has blasted Tehran's offensive: "The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel," EU High Representative Josep Borrell said late Saturday on social media.

Persons: Israel, Daniel Hagari, Bashar al, –, Iran's, Mohammad Bagheri, Gilad Erdan, Josep Borrell, Joe Biden, Washington, Steve Scalise, Mitch McConnell Organizations: Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Yemeni, Guards, Islamic Republic News Agency, . Security, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, European, EU, Biden, –, U.S . House, Republican Locations: Iran, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Strait, Hormuz, Gaza, Iranian, Damascus, France, Ukraine, U.S

☆ Opinion: What does Iran really want?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“A modern, strong, peaceful Iran could become a pillar of stability and progress in the region,” former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger wrote in 2006. Iran introduced into the Iraqi war zone highly effective roadside bombs known as EFPs – Explosively Formed Penetrators – that wounded and killed hundreds of American soldiers. The official US Army history of the Iraq War concluded that Iran was the only winner of that war. Iran’s ‘cookie-cutter approach’Norman Roule was the top US intelligence official on Iran from 2008 to 2017. The withdrawal of the US troops from neighboring Iraq is a key goal of Iran, which exerts considerable influence over some Iraqi politicians.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Osama bin Laden, Shah, Henry Kissinger, Iran’s ayatollahs, Karim Sadjadpour, Sadjadpour, Reagan, bin Laden, bin, al, Saddam Hussein, –, Noam Chomsky, Iran’s, Norman Roule, Roule, propping, Bashar al, Assad, Christine Abizaid, ”, Trump, Obama, Donald Trump, ‘, Benjamin Netanyahu, hasn’t, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, hadn’t, Biden, Abizaid, Mohammed Shia Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, Saturday, East, CIA, US Army, Israel, US National Counterterrorism Center, US Treasury Department, ‘ Deemed, United Nations, Israel’s, Hamas, Iran, White, ISIS Locations: New America, Israel, Iranian, Damascus, Iran, United States, Palestine, ”, Lebanon, Beirut, Saudi, al Qaeda, Iraqi, Saddam, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Red, Suez, Gaza, New York, Damascus ”, Jordan

☆ Opinion | What War by A.I. Actually Looks Like
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

apocalypse — visions that sometimes featured autonomous weapons systems going rogue — you might have expected an enormous and alarmed response. Instead, the report that a war was being conducted partly by A.I. Perhaps that was partly because — to an unnerving degree — experts accept that forms of A.I. are already in widespread use among the world’s leading militaries, including in the United States, where the Pentagon has been developing A.I. Many of us still regard artificial intelligence wars as visions from a science-fiction future, but A.I.

Persons: Yuval Abraham, A.I, Obama, It’s, ” Elliot Ackerman, James Stavridis Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Pentagon, Foreign Affairs, Washington Post, Associated Press Locations: Gaza, United States, Ukraine, Yemeni, Red

☆ Explosion Reported Near Ship off Yemen Coast, UKMTO Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) - The captain of a merchant ship east of Yemen's Aden has reported an explosion near the ship, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early on Sunday. "No damage to the vessel has been reported and the crew are reported safe. The vessel is proceeding to its next port of call," UKMTO said in an advisory note. The ship was 85 nautical miles (157 km, 98 miles) east of Aden, in an area where Houthi militant groups often target ships they say are linked to Israel or the United States. War in Israel and Gaza View All 222 ImagesThe United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and redesignated the militia as a terrorist group.

Persons: UKMTO, Yemen's, Hatem Maher, Tom Hogue, Edmund Klamann Organizations: United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, U.S Locations: CAIRO, Yemen's Aden, Aden, Israel, United States, Africa, Gaza, Britain, Yemen, Yemeni

☆ US Military Says It Destroyed Houthi Drone Over Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) -The U.S. military said it destroyed a drone fired by the Yemeni Houthis on Saturday, with another presumed to have crashed into the Red Sea. CETNCOM also said it destroyed five unmanned surface vessels and one UAV in self-defence, in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. "It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region," the statement read. Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilise the wider Middle East. The U.S. and Britain have carried out strikes against Houthi targets in response to the attacks on shipping.

Persons: CETNCOM, Hatem Maher, David Gregorio Organizations: Reuters, U.S, US Central Command, U.S . Navy Locations: Houthi, Yemen, U.S, Southern Africa, Israel, The U.S, Britain

The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. The large numbers mean Filipinos are disproportionately exposed to the dangers posed by Houthis targeting ships in the Red Sea. Two Filipino crew members remain in Djibouti to receive medical treatment. Most of the Filipino crew members on board returned to Manila on Tuesday, reuniting with their families after their ordeal at sea. It’s very painful for us, especially for the families,” Mark Dagohoy, one of the ship’s crew members, told journalists after their return.

Persons: It’s, “ There’s, ”, Eduardo de Vega, Israel, Houthis, “, Al, ” Houthi, Nasr Al, Din Amer, De Vega, de Vega, They’re, Mohammed Al, it’s, Ray Car, Abraham Ungar, Eloisa Lopez, Houthi, Yahya Sarea, ” Mark Dagohoy, Celine Alkhaldi, Paul P, Murphy Organizations: CNN, Galaxy Leader, Houthi Military Media, Reuters, Philippines, Yemeni, Nippon, Ray, Ray Car Carriers, Ambrey Analytics, Ambrey, Indian Navy, Manila International Airport, “, Liberian, Financial Times, Oaktree Locations: Filipino, Gaza, Red, Romanian, Iran, Yemen, Cairo, Philippines, Aden, Saudi, Hodeidah, Suez, Africa, Bab, Mandab, United States, Britain, Djibouti, Manila

☆ Three dead in first fatal Houthi attack in the Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Three people were killed in a Houthi attack against a civilian merchant ship, U.S. authorities said, marking the first lives claimed since the Iran-backed militant group began targeting the Red Sea shipping route at the end of last year. "With great sadness, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirms the deaths of two Filipino seafarers in the most recent attack by Houthi rebels on ships plying the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden," it said, withholding their names and identities. This is the first fatal Houthi attack since the group started maritime offensives against vessels transiting through the key Red Sea route that accounts for 12% of global traffic. On Saturday, the Belize-flagged general cargo ship Rubymar became the first casualty to sink in the Red Sea, after drifting abandoned at sea following a Houthi attack mid-February. In a separate incident earlier this week, four key telecommunications cables in the Red Sea were severed.

Persons: Centcom, Houthi, Yahya Sare'e, Rubymar Organizations: Red, U.S . Central Command, Liberian, Philippines Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Migrant Workers, Yemeni, Maritime Trade Operations, Yemeni Armed Forces, CNBC, Hamas, —, HGC Communications Locations: Iran, Barbados, Gulf, Aden, Gaza, Israel, U.S, Belize, Red

☆ Ship damaged offshore Yemen, days after a Houthi-struck vessel sank in the Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A merchant vessel was hit and took damage offshore of Yemen, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations said Wednesday, days after a ship struck by Iran-backed Houthis sank in the Red Sea. The UKMTO said that the incident took place 54 nautical miles southwest of Aden, adding that the merchant vessel "suffered damage" and was being assisted by international coalition forces active regionally. Earlier, the UKMTO reported that the merchant vessel was hailed for 30 minutes by an entity declaring itself to be the "Yemeni Navy," before the ship was instructed to alter course. Vessels in the vicinity reported "a large bang, and a plume of smoke sighted," according to the UKMTO. CNBC could not independently confirm the incident or the flag and ownership of the impaired vessel.

Persons: Houthis Organizations: Maritime Trade Operations, Yemeni Navy, CNBC, U.S . Central Command Locations: Yemen, Iran, Red, Aden, Barbados, U.S, Belize

☆ Red Sea cables have been damaged, disrupting global internet traffic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —Damage to undersea cables in the Red Sea is disrupting global telecommunications networks and forcing internet providers to reroute as much as a quarter of traffic between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Cables belonging to four major telecoms networks have been “cut” causing “significant” disruption to communications networks in the Middle East, according to Hong Kong telecoms company HGC Global Communications. HGC estimates that 25% of traffic between Asia and Europe as well the Middle East has been impacted, it said in a statement Monday. Among the networks affected is the Europe India Gateway, spanning 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) between Europe, the Middle East and India. Asia-Africa-Europe, a 25,000-kilometer cable system connecting South East Asia to Europe via Egypt, has also been damaged.

Persons: ” HGC, Abdel Malek al, Houthi, Wayne Chang, Celine Alkhaldi, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: London CNN, Cables, HGC Global Communications, Globes Locations: Asia, Europe, Hong Kong, Iranian, Red, Europe India, East, India, Africa, South East Asia, Egypt, Taipei, Abu Dhabi

☆ U.S. and Britain Strike 18 Houthi Targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Houthi militants have launched attack drones and cruise and ballistic missiles at vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The United States and Britain carried out another round of large-scale military strikes Saturday against multiple sites in Yemen controlled by Houthi militants, U.S. officials said. On Monday, Houthi militants fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a cargo ship, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The ship, called the Sea Champion, continued on to its destination at the port of Aden in Yemen, the statement added. The American-led retaliatory air and naval strikes against Houthi targets began last month.

Persons: ”, Houthi, Mason, Lloyd J, Austin III Organizations: Houthi, British, Defense Department, Associated Press, “, Yemeni Armed Forces, U.S ., U.S . Central Command, Central Command, Command, Iranian Locations: Aden, The United States, Britain, Yemen, Iran, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, “ U.S, U.S, Red Sea, Palau, Gaza, Israel, United States, Africa, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia

☆ Battle for the Red Sea expands with U.S. strikes, EU stepping up its efforts against Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Defense officials tell CNBC as of February 21, there have been at least 59 attacks on commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea. But the EU said the Red Sea moves reflect the need for a stronger European presence in protecting ships from Houthi attacks. Trade leaders have urged more countries to join the military effort in the Red Sea. A war of misinformation in the Red Sea crisis also continues. On February 2 in Brussels, Borrell informed Yemeni Prime Minister Bin Mubarak about the plans to launch a new EU maritime operation in the Red Sea and about its mandate.

Persons: Mason, Torm Thor, Good Hope, Peter Stano, Josep Borrell, Mark Montgomery, Sen, John McCain, Steven Lamar, Hussein, Azzi, Stano, Houthis, Borrell, Bin Mubarak, Rashad Al, Carl Bentzel, Bentzel, Tesla Organizations: European Commission, United States Central Command, Command, U.S, CNBC, European Union's Naval Force, EU, French Navy, Prosperity, Prosperity Guardian, EU Commission, Navy, Foundation, Defense of Democracies, Senate Armed, NATO, U.S . Central Command, UK, Prosperity Guardian . Trade, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Central Command, Yemeni, Presidential, Council, UN, Federal Maritime, Foreign Shipping, State Department, FMC, Walmart Locations: Aden, Iranian, Yemen, Red, Libyan Coast, Good, Somalia, European, EU, U.S, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Houthi, Europe, Suez, Belize, Brussels, Yemeni, United States, Egypt, Germany, Israel

So The New York Times asked more than 5,300 people in the U.S. with this heritage how they describe themselves …No Box to Check: When the Census Doesn’t Reflect YouEgyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Amazigh, Arab, American. In the 2020 census, “Lebanese” and “Egyptian” were offered as examples for the “white” box on the race question. The other categories were “Black or African American,” “American Indian or Alaska Native,” “Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander” and a variety of Asian ancestries. After all, there’s no agreed-upon set of countries or ethnicities that would fall under a Middle Eastern and North African category. The chart shows these responses after the MENA category was added: 69% chose “MENA,” 15% chose “MENA, White,” 3% chose “Another Race,” 5% chose “White” and 8% chose other combinations.

Persons: Brown, New York Times callout, Biden, ”, —, “, ” Martin Zebari, ” Samera Hadi, ” Imene Said Kouidri, ’ ” Faisal Ali, ” Joseph Hallock, Maya Berry, there’s, Margo J, Anderson, “ You’re, Tiffany Kindratt, ” Khelil, ‘, Dusty Haddad, “ White, Jeffrey S, ” Nadine Naber, Naber, I’m, ” Ceylan Swenson, ” Blake Bachara, ” Amin Younes, We’re, ” Rita Obeid, Barack Obama, It’s, ” Thomas Simsarian Dolan, ” Gabrielle Barbara Guliana, Christina Boufarah, I’ve, ” Michele Magar, ” Soufiane, ” Azita, Moustafa, ” Nawar Organizations: U.S ., New York Times, Arab, Israel, American Community, Management, Federal, Arab American Institute, University of Wisconsin, Census Bureau, Survey, North, Cornell University, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, University of Texas, The Times, Times, Pew Research, University of Illinois, Bureau, West Virginian Locations: Eastern, Sudanese, Southwest, U.S, East, North Africa, United States, Michigan, Gaza, Europe, Lebanese, Alaska, American, MENA, Milwaukee, —, Arlington, America, White, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Lebanon, Iran, N.Y.C, Israel, Turkey, Southwest Asia, Afghanistan, Armenia, West, I’m

☆ U.S. and British strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen answer militants’ surge in Red Sea attacks on ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, which is currently in the Red Sea, officials said. President Joe Biden and other senior leaders have repeatedly warned that the U.S. won't tolerate the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping. During normal operations, about 400 commercial vessels transit the southern Red Sea at any given time. The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, was attacked while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Associated Press, relying on satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the stricken vessel, reported Tuesday that the vessel was leaking oil in the Red Sea.

Persons: Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Grant Shapps, Shapps, Joe Biden, haven't, We've, Sabrina Singh, we've, Mason, Abdul Malik al, Hope Organizations: US Coast Guard, US Central Command, U.S, Eisenhower, Defense, Yemeni Armed Forces, RAF, Islander, Hamas, Houthi, Aden , U.S . Central Command, Central Command, Khorfakkan, United, Command, Associated Press, Planet Labs PBC Locations: Iran, Yemen, Tampa , Florida, United States, U.S, Gulf of Aden, British, Red, Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Gaza, Aden , U.S, Asia, Europe, Africa, Suez, Mandeb, Gulf, Aden, Palau, Belize, Lebanese, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates

☆ Concern grows within Biden administration as Houthis continue attacks despite US strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“They continue to surprise us,” said one senior defense official, referring to the Houthis. Officials also believe Iran instructed the groups to back off the attacks following the US strikes. The issue is becoming more acute, especially given the notable increase in Houthi attacks over the last two days. At the same time, the Houthis also crave international legitimacy, officials said, and want to be recognized as the official Yemeni government. Still, there are no signs yet that Iran is actively withholding support from the Houthis, officials said.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, Sabrina Singh, ”, —, Marc Miguez, Israel, Privately, Matthew Miller, Singh, ” Singh Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Central Command, Carrier Strike, Yemeni, Saudi, State Department, US, Prosperity Locations: Iran, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Baghdad, Gaza, Israel, Red, Oman, Bahrain

☆ Opinion | Will Gaza Cost Biden Re-election?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As infuriated as she is by Joe Biden’s stalwart support for Israel, Layla Elabed has not ruled out voting for him in November. A progressive Palestinian American community organizer in Dearborn, Mich., a majority Arab American city near Detroit, she doesn’t want to see Donald Trump back in office. “Donald Trump has never been a friend to our community,” she told me as we sat in an airy, modern Yemeni coffee shop. “We’re looking at unprecedented times where we are watching a genocide unfold in front of our eyes,” said Elabed. That’s why Elabed is managing the Listen to Michigan campaign, which is organizing to get people to protest Biden’s handling of the war by voting “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Layla Elabed, Donald Trump, “ Donald Trump, ”, Biden, Rashida Tlaib, it’s, Elabed, uncommitted Organizations: Israel, Democratic, Republican Locations: Israel, American, Dearborn, Mich, Detroit, Gaza, Michigan

☆ US drone that crashed in Yemen appears to have been shot down by Houthi missile, official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Initial indications are that a US MQ-9 Reaper drone that crashed near Hodeidah in Yemen early Monday morning was shot down by a Houthi surface-to-air missile, a US official said Tuesday. Previously, officials said it was unclear if the drone had been shot down or simply crashed. The Houthis also shot down a MQ-9 — which is an unmanned drone typically used for intelligence collection — in November off the coast of Yemen. The US-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged M/V Navis Fortuna, a bulk carrier, was struck Monday evening by a one-way attack drone, which resulted in minor damage but no injuries. At 8:15 p.m. Monday evening, the US destroyed a one-way attack drone in western Yemen preparing to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

Persons: Navis, Fortuna, Matthew Miller, ”, ” Miller, CENTCOM Organizations: CNN, Marshall, US, US Navy Locations: Hodeidah, Yemen, Iran, US, Gulf, Aden, Marshall Islands, British, ”, Belize, Red, Gulf of Aden, Israel, Gaza

☆ Middle East escalation fears spike as Houthis launch most damaging attack yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group's responsibility for the attack, calling it their most severe yet. The group claim to support Palestinian civilians amid Israel's retaliatory military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Simultaneously, fighting is raging between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip with no sign of abating despite diplomatic efforts by a number of countries. INTERNATIONAL WATERS RED SEA, YEMEN - NOVEMBER 20: This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen. EU foreign ministers called in a joint statement for an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a lasting cease-fire.

Persons: Mohammed Huwais, Yemen's, Yahya Saree, Saree, Charles Myers, CNBC's, Myers, Hungary —, Israel's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, hasn't, Mohammed Abed Organizations: Hamas, Afp, Getty, U.S . Central Command, Global Advisors, SEA, Galaxy Leader Cargo, Handout, Security, Palestinian Locations: Israel, Sanaa, Gaza, Red, Belize, Gulf, Aden, Iranian, Yemen, U.S, Gulf Aden, Rafah, Gaza's, YEMEN, Red Sea, Lebanon, Iran, Beirut, Hungary

☆ Houthis claim 'catastrophic' attack in Red Sea that prompted crew to abandon ship
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Iran-backed Houthi militant group on Sunday damaged a ship offshore Yemen, prompting its crew to abandon the vessel in the latest escalation of maritime tensions that have disrupted key trade routes in the Red Sea. Houthi militants later claimed the attack, with spokesperson Yahya Sare'e identifying the vessel as general cargo ship Rubymar and describing it as British. "The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete halt," Houthi Spokesperson Sare'e said. The hostilities have also prompted armed exchanges between Houthis and British and American forces, which have previously struck at Yemeni targets in a bid to improve maritime security. Sare'e said that the Houthis on Sunday also shot down a U.S. drone in Hodeidah.

Persons: Yahya Sare'e, Sare'e, Ice Brent, Nymex WTI Organizations: Maritime Trade Operations, CNBC, Global, Djiboutian Navy, Hamas, Maersk, Ice, U.S . Central Command, U.S . Navy, Ambrey Analytics Locations: Iran, Yemen, Red, Belize, British, U.S, Saudi, Khair, Varna, Bulgaria, Gulf, Aden, London, Gaza, Danish, Good Hope, Houthis, ., Houthi, Greece, Yemen's

☆ Yemen's Houthis say they targeted oil tanker Pollux
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Saturday that they had fired missiles at oil tanker Pollux, which U.S. officials said the previous day had been hit by a missile. The U.S. State Department said on Friday that the Pollux, a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil bound for India, was hit by a missile on its port side. "The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against a British oil ship (Pollux) in the Red Sea with a large number of appropriate naval missiles, and the strikes were accurate and direct", the Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement. The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile attacks against international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel wages war on Hamas.

Persons: Houthis, Yahya Sarea Organizations: U.S . State Department, Yemeni Armed Forces Locations: Iran, Panamanian, India, Mandab, Israel

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China on Wednesday accused the United States and Britain of illegally attacking military sites used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to launch missiles at commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting global shipping. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood and UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward countered that the Houthi attacks are illegal, and their “proportionate and legal action” against the Yemen rebels are being taken in self-defense. “An immediate cease-fire in Gaza will help to stabilize the situation in the Red Sea, and the de-escalation in those waters will in turn unblock the efforts of the special envoy, Mr. Grundberg,” Polyansky said. The war has devastated Yemen, already the Arab region’s poorest country, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. This year, the Yemen appeal is more targeted and seeks $2.7 billion to reach 11.2 million people across Yemen.

Persons: Yemen’s Houthi, Robert Wood, Barbara Woodward, Woodward, U.N, Dmitry Polyansky, Zhang Jun, Yemen Hans Grundberg, Wood, Bab, ” Wood, “, ”, Moscow “, Grundberg, ” Russia’s Polyansky, ” Polyansky, Wosornu Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, —, . Security, U.S Locations: — Russia, China, United States, Britain, Red, Yemen, Gaza, Israel, Asia, Europe, United Kingdom, U.S, Mandeb, Aden, ”, Iran, Moscow, Russia, Sanaa, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, israel

☆ Opinion: What Iran wants — and fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Opinion Hussein Ibish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iran has backed Hezbollah’s efforts to avoid an all-out war with Israel despite consistent Israeli escalation and threats. Hezbollah doesn’t want a war with Israel and Iran agrees. The potential for such US or Israeli airstrikes is among the most significant reasons Iran wants to avoid a broader conflict. Tehran has already restrained its Iraqi proxies, is working to help Hezbollah climb down and avoid a devastating Israeli attack. And Iran is probably urging the Houthis to take great care not to kill Americans or otherwise go too far.

Persons: Hussein Ibish, Read, Hussein Ibish It’s, Biden, Israel, Kataib, Saleh Al, Wissam, Amos Hochstein, Ebrahim Raisi, Shannon Stapleton, It’s Organizations: Gulf States Institute, Israel, CNN, Washington, Radwan Force, Iranian Locations: Washington, Iranian, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Saudi, That’s, Israel, Jordan, Hezbollah’s, Beirut, Tehran, Yemeni, Suez, Strait, Hormuz, Bab, Mandab

☆ Yemen's Houthis Hold Funeral for 17 Militants Killed in US-UK Air Strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi militia held a funeral on Saturday for at least 17 militants killed during joint U.S.-British airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed militants, the Houthi-run Saba news agency said. The Houthis have launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at commercial ships since Nov. 19 in what they say is a response to Israel's military operations in Gaza, prompting Britain and the United States to start retaliatory strikes last month. "These crimes will not discourage the Yemeni people from continuing their support and backing of their brothers in the Gaza Strip," Saba said in its coverage of the funerals. The Houthi campaign has disrupted international shipping, causing some companies to suspend transits through the Red Sea and instead take the much longer, costlier journey around Africa. Photos You Should See View All 21 Images(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Adam Makary; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Helen Popper)

Persons: Saba, Ahmed Tolba, Adam Makary, Mark Heinrich, Helen Popper Locations: CAIRO, Iran, Saba, Gaza, Britain, United States, Israel, Yemen, U.S, Africa

Search resuls for: "Yemeni"

25 mentions found