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☆ Sounion: Fires on board Greek-flagged tanker after Houthi attack in Red Sea, says maritime agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Three fires blazed on a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday, one day after rescuers evacuated its crew in the wake of an assault by Yemeni Houthi militants. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, said on Thursday that they had attacked the Sounion oil tanker as part of their 10-month campaign against commercial shipping to support Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The Houthis first damaged the tanker on Wednesday with repeated attacks that caused a fire and a loss of engine power. The damaged tanker, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil, poses an environmental hazard, the EU’s Red Sea naval mission Aspides said. The Sounion was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to come under Houthi attack this month.

Persons: UKMTO, “, Aspides, Yahya Saree Organizations: Reuters, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, Authority, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, Delta, “ Locations: Red, Yemeni, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Eritrea, Djibouti, Caribbean, Tobago, Athens, Palestine

☆ Fires observed on board Greek-flagged tanker in Red Sea, says maritime agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Houthis first damaged the tanker on Wednesday with repeated attacks that caused a fire and a loss of engine power. Three fires blazed on a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday, one day after rescuers evacuated its crew in the wake of an assault by Yemeni Houthi militants . Later in the day, the Houthis posted a video on social media that purportedly showed them setting the tanker on fire. The damaged tanker, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil, poses an environmental hazard, the EU's Red Sea naval mission Aspides said. The Sounion was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to come under Houthi attack this month.

Persons: UKMTO, Aspides, Yahya Saree Organizations: United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, Authority, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, Delta Locations: Yemen, Eritrea, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Red, Yemeni, Djibouti, Caribbean, Tobago, Athens, Palestine

☆ New military photo captures a NATO warship taking out an explosive-packed drone boat during a Red Sea rescue mission
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA new photo released by the French military on Thursday captures one of its warships battling an explosive drone boat during a rescue mission in the Red Sea. AdvertisementThe rescue mission in the Red Sea. The attack left the Sounion without power and adrift off the coast of Yemen, prompting the French rescue mission. Operation Aspides said on Thursday that the crew was transported to the nearest safe port of call in Djibouti. "The lives of seafarers and freedom on the high seas are nonnegotiable values and their protection is a key objective" of the security mission, Operation Aspides said.

Persons: —, Aspides Organizations: Service, Business, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, Royal Navy, Union, European, Pentagon Locations: Red, Iran, Gulf, Aden, Yemen, Djibouti

☆ The Chinese Base That Isn’t There
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Agnes Chang | Hannah Beech | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

Security gate Chinese-funded buildup CAMBODIA Chinese warship CAMBODIA CAMBODIA Dry dock and other repair facilities Before After China insists it is not building a naval base in Cambodia. CHINA Ream, CambodiaThe Chinese Base That Isn’t There New facilities and the months-long presence of Chinese warships show Beijing’s growing global influence. In 2020, something curious happened at Cambodia’s Ream military base, on the Gulf of Thailand. The Chinese military presence near one of the world’s most vital sea lanes raises fundamental questions about Beijing’s ambitions. “The Ream military base is Cambodia’s, not the military base of any country,” Mey Dina, the commander of the base, told The New York Times.

Persons: CHINA, —, ”, Jan, John, “ We’re, Lloyd J, Austin III, ” Mey Dina, Mey Dina, Xi Jinping, dredgers, Ream, Gregory B, Poling, ‘ Ream, Xi, Hun Sen, Mr, Hun Sen’s, Hun Manet Organizations: U.S . Defense Department, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, Agence France, Navy, Planet Labs, Ream, Pentagon, New York Times, China’s, China’s Djibouti Naval, Basketball, Djibouti ETHIOPIA Perimeter, NAM Ream, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Cambodian, Congressional Research Service, White, AMERICA Ports, SOUTH AMERICA SRI LANKA, China, China ASIA EUROPE CHINA AFRICA Djibouti Ream SRI LANKA, United States Military Academy Locations: CAMBODIA CAMBODIA, China, Cambodia, CHINA Ream, Thailand, Ream, South China, American, Cambodian, U.S, People’s Republic, China’s, Djibouti, Horn of Africa, China’s Djibouti, YEMEN Djibouti, Djibouti ETHIOPIA, THAILAND, Cambodia Malacca, Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, Djibouti Ream Africa, ASIA EUROPE, China CHINA AFRICA Djibouti, AUSTRALIA, China ASIA EUROPE CHINA AFRICA Djibouti, United States, Spratlys

☆ A bizarre comment stirred speculation India may try to match China's carrier fleet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

During an interview with an Indian newspaper regarding plans to construct a third aircraft carrier, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said India would build yet more. "He was only trying to dispel suggestions that the government is resistant to a proposal for a third aircraft carrier." They would also be less expensive, with the third Indian carrier estimated at around $5 billion, compared to $13 billion for a Ford-class carrier. On the other hand, there is a reason why America builds enormously expensive aircraft carriers. Despite its drawbacks, the aircraft carrier's aura and impact in peacetime operations are unmatched."

Persons: —, that's, it's, Rajnath Singh, Abhijit Singh, India's, Imtiyaz Shaikh, Queen Elizabeth, Singh, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Indian Navy, Business, Indian, Defense, Observer Research Foundation, Getty, India, Soviet, Nimitz, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: India, New Delhi, China, Djibouti, Ream, Cambodia, Gwadar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kyaukpyu, Myanmar, Fujian, Forbes

☆ Djibouti fights deadly malaria wave with GMO mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released in the tiny East African country of Djibouti to combat a surge in malaria infections caused by an invasive vector. Unlike most malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa that breed in rural areas, Anopheles Stephensi thrives in urban environments, intensifying the public health challenge for predominantly urban Djibouti. “This mosquito poses a huge threat to our fight against malaria,” said Grey Frandsen, CEO of US-owned biotechnology firm Oxitec, which developed the gene-modified mosquitoes released in Djibouti. ‘Using mosquitoes to fight mosquitoes’Dubbed a method that “uses mosquitoes to fight mosquitoes”, Oxitec’s genetic technology targets female mosquitoes, which are predominantly responsible for malaria transmission. Although the rollout of genetically modified mosquitoes in Djibouti is only the second in Africa, the idea is drawing more interest on the continent.

Persons: Anopheles, Stephensi, ”, Grey Frandsen, “ Anopheles, Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, Oxitec, ” Abdilleh, Frandsen, Melinda Gates, “, Yoweri Museveni Organizations: CNN, WHO, Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization Locations: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Horn of Africa, Africa, “, Brazil, Burkina Faso

The Joint Program Office declined to comment to Military.com regarding the restriction. A spokesperson for the Marine Corps could not provide details on the restriction but said efforts are underway to return the aircraft to full operations. Pedro Caballero, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps, told Military.com when asked whether the restrictions applied to its roughly 350 Ospreys, the vast majority of the military's fleet. US Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys take off at Port Darwin in Australia. An MV-22B Osprey conducts an external lift with US Marines during helicopter support team training at Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California.

Persons: —, Military.com, Beth Teach, Cpl, Juan Torres, Capt, Pedro Caballero, Caballero, Colton Martin Lt, Rebecca Heyse, Amelia Kang, Brian Taylor, Taylor, Juan Paz Taylor Organizations: Service, Force, Marine Corps, Ospreys, Business, Navy, Naval Air Forces, Office, Naval Air Systems Command, Royal Australian Air Force Base, US Marine Corps, Corps, Port Darwin, Air Force Special Operations Command, Greyhound, House Armed Services, US Marines, Marine Corps Air, Services, Aviation, Air Force, Marines, Program Office, Marine, US Air National Guard, Staff Locations: Japan, Port, Australia, Miramar , California, Darwin, Washington ,, Lemonnier, Djibouti

☆ Hamas and Israeli leaders may face international arrest warrants. Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

If approved by a panel of judges, the arrest warrants would be issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The decision to seek arrest warrants doesn’t immediately mean the individual is guilty, but is the first stage in a process that could lead to a lengthy trial. The ICC has so far issued arrest warrants against 42 people, 21 of whom have been detained with the help of member states. Signatory states are obliged to apprehend those facing arrest warrants, but leaders have often sought to evade those warrants, restricting their freedom of movement. Video Ad Feedback ICC chief details charges he is seeking against Hamas and Israeli leaders 02:04 - Source: CNNDoes the ICC have jurisdiction over Israeli nationals?

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyah, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al, Masri, Mohammed Deif, Netanyahu, doesn’t, ”, Putin, Haniyah, Omar al, Bashir, Saif Gadhafi, Moammar Gadhafi, Vladimir Putin, hasn’t, Karim Khan, “, Khan, Shelly Aviv Yeini, ” Yeini, Muhammad Nazzal, Gallant, Israel Katz, Yair Lapid, Israel “, Sinwar, Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Mike Johnson, CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, Benjamin Brown, Melanie Zanona, Aber Salman, Michael Schwartz Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, Israeli, ICC, The Hague, International Court of Justice, United Nations, UN, Djibouti –, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Reuters, Foreign, National Security, Hague, Defense Ministry, Republican Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chile, South Africa, Qatar, Rome, The, Netherlands, Russian, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, Djibouti, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Palestine, The Hague, Israeli

☆ See the $36 billion Great Green Wall in Africa that's an attempt to hold back desertification
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Great Green Wall is a project to restore degraded land in nearly two dozen African countries. The $36-billion-plus project aims to generate 10 million jobs and sequester tons of carbon by 2030. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementOver the past several decades, deforestation, agricultural expansion, and drought have all contributed to desertification in parts of the African continent. The goals of the 17-year-old Great Green Wall project — estimated to cost between $36 to 49 billion — also include generating 10 million jobs and sequestering 250 million tons of carbon by 2030.

Persons: — Organizations: Service Locations: California, Senegal, Djibouti

☆ Gambia and the Campaign Against Cutting
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Ruth Maclean | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yesterday, lawmakers in Gambia voted to advance legislation that would legalize female genital cutting. Yet genital cutting is still on the rise. Today, 230 million women and girls around the world have been cut, a 15 percent rise from 2016. In Africa and the Middle East, several countries still permit the practice, and in many others, laws are erratically enforced. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain why cutting — which for most communities means removing the clitoris and the labia minora, or almost sealing up the vagina — has been so hard to stamp out.

Locations: Gambia, Africa, Somalia, Guinea, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Mali, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia

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

☆ US, UK, French military shoot down Houthi drones after attack on bulk carrier, destroyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The container ship, Safeen Pride, with a destination of 'HODEIDAH (ARMED GUARDS)' seen at sea on January 17, 2024 in Djibouti, Djibouti. U.S., French and British forces downed dozens of drones in the Red Sea area overnight and on Saturday after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis targeted bulk carrier Propel Fortune and U.S. destroyers in the region, the U.S. military said in a statement. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the U.S. military and coalition forces had downed at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Red Sea in the early hours of Saturday. Earlier on Saturday, CENTCOM said the military was responding to a large-scale attack on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 4 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. (0100-0330 GMT). The UAVs were intended to present "an imminent threat to merchant vessels, U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region", it said in a post on social media platform X.

Persons: Yahya Sarea, CENTCOM Organizations: U.S, . Central Command, U.S ., Coalition Navy, U.S . Navy Locations: Djibouti, Djibouti . U.S, British, Red, Iran, Gulf of Aden, Gaza, Gulf, Aden, U.S

The Houthi attack involved bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said. The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, Central Command said. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, acknowledged the attack, but claimed its forces targeted two American warships, without elaborating. Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels have remained capable of launching significant attacks. Smoke poured out of one container aboard the vessel, which also showed scorch marks from the impact from a Houthi missile.

Persons: Yemen's, Carney, Arleigh Burke, Yahya Saree, ” Saree, Smoke Organizations: United Arab Emirates, —, Hamas, U.S . military's, Command, U.S, Central Command, MSC Sky, Mediterranean Shipping Co Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, U.S, Red, Gaza, Brig, Israel, Iran, Kolkata, Gulf, Aden, Switzerland, Singapore, Djibouti

☆ Abandoned at sea, Houthi-damaged ship awaits towing to Saudi Arabia amid oil slick concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A vessel impaired in a mid-February Houthi attack offshore Yemen remains abandoned at sea awaiting towing to safe harbor amid growing concerns of an oil spill. The Iran-backed militant group claimed it dealt "catastrophic damage" during a Feb. 18 offensive against the Belize-flagged general cargo vessel Rubymar, which the Houthis said was "at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden." The attack caused "an 18-mile oil slick," the U.S. Central Command said in a social media update on Feb. 24, adding that the tanker is anchored, but taking on water. "The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster," Centcom said. Khoury added that, as the Rubymar's crew has deserted the ship, his company has no information on the status of a possible oil leak.

Persons: Houthis, Centcom, Roy Khoury, Khoury Organizations: U.S . Central Command, Blue Fleet Group, CNBC, U.S . Locations: Yemen, Iran, Belize, Gulf, Aden, Saudi, Jeddah, Djibouti, U.S

☆ U.S. Conducted Cyberattack Against Iranian Military Ship, an Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The United States recently carried out a cyberattack against an Iranian military vessel that the Pentagon says was gathering intelligence on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and relaying that information to Houthi fighters, a U.S. military official said on Thursday. The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, have been firing missiles and drones at vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The cyberattack was intended to disrupt the Iranian ship’s ability to share that information with the Houthis, according to the U.S. military, who did not elaborate on the clandestine mission. The New York Times previously reported that the United States had conducted a cyberattack against Iranian targets as part of the response to avenge the deaths of the three soldiers in Jordan. That response also included retaliatory strikes against Iranian forces and the militias they support in seven sites in Syria and Iraq.

Persons: Sabrina Singh Organizations: United, Pentagon, Biden, ., New York Times, Iranian, NBC News Locations: United States, Iranian, Gulf of Aden, U.S, Iraq, Jordan, Djibouti, Yemen, Iran, Gaza, Syria

☆ Election 2024 Trump is set to rally in South Carolina, as polls show him with a wide lead.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Maggie Astor | Neil Vigdor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

A Winthrop University poll released Wednesday shows Nikki Haley losing badly in South Carolina, her home state, with a little more than a week before the state’s Republican primary. Nearly two-thirds of likely Republican primary voters, 65 percent, said they supported former President Donald J. Trump, and only 29 percent said they supported Ms. Haley. Those numbers are very close to the average results of recent polls of South Carolina. But he benefits from a huge 81 percent favorability rating among Republicans, and unlike Ms. Haley, he is getting more popular over time. She has hammered Mr. Trump for those comments.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald J, Trump, Haley, Winthrop, Haley’s Organizations: Winthrop University, Republican, NBC, Republicans, Mr, National Guard Locations: South Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, Russia, Djibouti, Nevada

☆ Inside the US Navy’s frontline fight against the Houthis in the Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“This isn’t exactly where we expected to be on this deployment,” said Captain James Huddleston, the deputy commander of Carrier Air Wing 3 who regularly flies missions over the Red Sea and Yemen. An F/A-18 with afterburner prepares to launch from the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. Officials believe Iran was at one point using one of its suspected spy ships which has long been parked in the southern Red Sea, the Behshad, to help the Houthis target vessels there. Seconds or minutes to respondMeanwhile, the crew on board the USS Gravely destroyer in the Red Sea are the tip of the spear against inbound Houthi missiles and drones. But more often, the ship is deploying its anti-air and anti-surface missiles at closer ranges as Houthi missiles and drones close in.

Persons: Dwight D, Eisenhower, “, ”, Marc Miguez, Miguez, James Huddleston, ” Huddleston, Ike, Scott Pisczek, Marvin Scott, Samad, Iran’s, JG James Rodney, Sailors, “ It’s, FC1 Michael Zito, we’ve, ” CNN’s Scott Pisczek Organizations: Eisenhower CNN, Eisenhower, US, CNN, US Navy, Jets, Carrier, Carrier Air Wing, Carrier Air, Defense Intelligence Agency, Officials, Information Locations: Iran, Yemen, Sea, Russia, China, Red, ”, India, Djibouti, Gulf, Aden

☆ Bulker Was Targeted by Missiles in Bab Al-Mandab - Ambrey, UKMTO
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI (Reuters) -British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Monday that a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier was targeted by missiles in two incidents within two minutes while transiting through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The bulker was reportedly hit and suffered damage to its the starboard side, Ambrey added. Ambrey had first reported that the carrier had sighted a projectile near the vessel 23 nautical miles (43km) northeast of Djibouti's Khor Angar and 40 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Red Sea port city of Mokha. War in Israel and Gaza View All 206 ImagesAmbrey added that the bulker was reportedly headed to Bandar Imam Khomeini, a city in Iran. The crew were unharmed, UKMTO said, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call, UKMTO said.

Persons: Ambrey, Djibouti's Khor, Bandar Imam Khomeini, UKMTO, Nayera Abdallah, Tala, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, NASDAQ, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Locations: DUBAI, Marshall, Greece, Mandab, Djibouti's, Yemen's, Mokha, Israel, Gaza, Bandar, Iran, Yemen, Africa

☆ Somali pirates are back on the attack at a level not seen in years, adding to global shipping threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Piracy off the coast of Somalia had been on the decline in recent years after peaking in 2011 when Somali pirates launched 212 attacks. A 2013 World Bank study, still widelt cited today, estimated that piracy cost the global economy around $18 billion annually. The pirates have also been attacking fishing vessels, mostly Iranian, as well as many other small boats such as skiffs. Ocean piracy is rising across the worldData from 2023 shows that by many key measures, piracy is on the rise in key global shipping lanes. There were 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships reported in 2023, compared to 115 in 2022, according to the annual Piracy and Armed Robbery Report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

Persons: Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin, Dan Mueller Organizations: Puntland Maritime Police Forces, Getty Images, Royal United Services Institute, United Nations Security Council, European Union Naval Force, UNSC, Eastern, Chamber of Shipping, ICC International Maritime Bureau, International Maritime Organization, CNBC Locations: PUNTLAND, SOMALIA, Puntland, Somalia, Anadolu, Africa, Horn of Africa, U.S, Eastern Region, Djibouti

☆ The Red Sea crisis tests China’s global ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

China’s responseThe Houthi rebels in Yemen started firing missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea in mid-November, in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians. Chinese officials repeatedly stressed that the Red Sea crisis is a “spillover” from the conflict in Gaza, citing an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the top priority. Beijing’s reluctance to wade into the Red Sea crisis reflects these geopolitical calculations. The Chinese government readout of the meeting between Wang and Sullivan did not mention the Red Sea. Egypt is losing millions of dollars per day from the reduced traffic at the Suez Canal at the northern end of the Red Sea.

Persons: Houthi, “, ”, Mordechai Chaziza, Xi Jinping, Israel, ” Chaziza, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re, Wang, Sullivan, Ebrahim Raisi, Yan Yan, OOCL, Kuehne + Nagel, Jonathan Fulton, “ can’t, ” Fulton, William Figueroa, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ashkelon Academic College, Beijing, Iran, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Britain, United Nations Security Council, Global, Western, Chinese Foreign, White House, Reuters, Chinese Foreign Ministry, China, Shanghai Shipping Exchange, Atlantic Council, University of Groningen, Xi’s Global Security Initiative, GSI, Hamas Locations: Hong Kong, Red, Israel, Ashkelon, United States, China, Europe, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Djibouti, Beijing, Gaza, Bangkok, Iran, Tehran, Africa, Switzerland, Francisco, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Suez, Sea, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands

☆ Trafigura assesses Red Sea risks after tanker attacked by Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Commodities trader Trafigura said on Saturday it was assessing the security risks of further Red Sea voyages after firefighters put out a blaze on a tanker attacked by Yemen's Houthi group a day earlier. The Houthi attacks have primarily targeted container vessels moving through the Red Sea. A notable exception is QatarEnergy, the world's second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, which earlier this month stopped sending tankers via the Red Sea, citing security concerns. The Marshall Islands-flagged Marlin Luanda issued a distress call on Friday and reported damage, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. About eight hours after the Marlin Luanda incident, the U.S. military destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Red Sea and ready to launch, Central Command said.

Persons: Trafigura, Yemen's, Trafigura's, Marlin, Carney, Ras Issa Organizations: Djibouti . Commodities, U.S . Navy, Marshall, U.S . Central Command, Indian Navy, British, Houthi, U.S, Central Command, Britain, U.S . Fifth Fleet, British Defence Ministry Locations: Djibouti, U.S, Trafigura, Aden, Gulf, Africa, Gaza, Visakhapatnam, Yemen, United States, Ras, Yemen's

☆ China Is Cynically Exploiting U.S. Protection of Shipping Lanes - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Isaac Kardon | Jennifer Kavanagh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There has been plenty of hand-wringing in the West about the prospect of China displacing — or at least rivaling — the United States as the world’s leading superpower. But the evolving security crisis in the Red Sea makes clear that this remains a distant prospect. China, with a trade-led economy dependent on the free flow of commerce through chokepoints like the Bab el-Mandeb strait off Yemen, relies on the United States to protect international sea lanes. Instead, it seems content to largely sit back and offer veiled criticism of the U.S. military response. Beijing is playing a cynical game, free-riding on the same American power that it holds in contempt, trying to have it both ways.

Organizations: U.S Locations: China, United States, chokepoints, Yemen, U.S, East, Europe, Red, Djibouti, Beijing

☆ A US Air Force fighter wing is asking the public to please stop pointing lasers at its aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A US Air Force fighter wing is asking people to stop aiming laser pointers at its aircraft. The UK-based fighter wing said this activity poses a "serious threat to flight safety." AdvertisementA US Air Force fighter wing based in the UK published an advisory asking people to stop pointing lasers at its aircraft. The 48th Fighter Wing out of RAF Lakenheath said on Thursday that there have been recent incidents of laser pointers being aimed at fighter aircraft during flight operations, raising "significant concerns." "This dangerous activity, known as 'lasing,' poses a serious threat to flight safety," the fighter wing wrote in a media advisory.

Persons: It's, —, Lakenheath, RAF Lakenheath Organizations: US Air Force, Service, Air Force, Fighter, Lakenheath, RAF, US Air Forces, Kirtland Air Force Base, FBI, RAF Lakenheath, 48th Fighter Wing, Pentagon, US Navy Locations: London, England, Europe, New Mexico, China, Djibouti, East, Iran

☆ Why the West can't stop the Houthi rebels' missile attacks on ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They enjoy three advantages that magnify their ability to create havoc, and make it difficult for the West to stop them. Bab el Mandeb is just 70 miles long and 20 miles wide, within easy range of land-based anti-ship missiles, drones and even howitzers firing extended-range shells. The Houthis also have Iranian-made anti-ship ballistic missiles with a range of around 300 miles, as well as drones. Even a giant aircraft carrier is hard to spot in the vastness of the ocean, and an anti-ship missile's onboard radar can only scan a small area . The Houthis claim they are only attacking Israeli ships out of solidarity with Gaza, though many of the ships have nothing to do with Israel .

Persons: Bab el, Quds Organizations: Service, U.S, U.S ., International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Locations: Red, America, Yemen, Europe, U.S . East Coast, India, East Asia, Suez, Egypt, East Coast, Bab, Eritrea, Djibouti, Iran, Saudi, Gaza, Israel, Persian, Tehran isn't, Vietnam

☆ Iranian and Hezbollah commanders help direct Houthi attacks in Yemen, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Luke Dray | Getty ImagesCommanders from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon's Hezbollah group are on the ground in Yemen helping to direct and oversee Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, four regional and two Iranian sources told Reuters. In his weekly news conferences, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has repeatedly denied Tehran is involved in the Red Sea attacks by the Houthis. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam denied any Iranian or Hezbollah involvement in helping to direct the Red Sea attacks. The person said Iranian commanders had travelled to Yemen as well and set up a command centre in the capital Sanaa for the Red Sea attacks which is being run by the senior IRGC commander responsible for Yemen. Mohammed Hamoud | Getty ImagesAccording to two former Yemeni army sources, there is a clear presence of IRGC and Hezbollah members in Yemen.

Persons: Luke Dray, Washington, Nasser Kanaani, Houthi, Mohammed Abdulsalam, Saleh al, Samad, Mohammed Hamoud, Abdulaziz al, Sager, Adrienne Watson, Abdulghani, Abdulsalam, Bashar al, Assad, Ali Khamenei Organizations: Getty, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hezbollah, Reuters, Hamas, Foreign, Guards, Gulf Research, White House, U.S, Sana'a Center, Strategic Studies, Iranian Guards Locations: Djibouti, Yemen, Iran, Gaza, Israel, Tehran, Sana'a, Saudi, Asia, Europe, Gaza ., Lebanese, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Bab, Sanaa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Washington, Gulf, Islam

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