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☆ Houthi rebels launched the first fatal anti-ship ballistic missile attack just days after sinking another vessel
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An anti-ship ballistic missile hit the True Confidence as it was transiting the Gulf of Aden. AdvertisementThe M/V True Confidence after it was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile. Monday's incident also marks the first ever fatal anti-ship ballistic missile attack . AdvertisementThe Marshall Islands-flagged, Bermuda-owned M/V Marlin Luanda after it was hit with an anti-ship ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden in January. The fatal attack, meanwhile, comes just days after the sinking of the Rubymar, a commercial vessel that was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile while it was transiting the Red Sea in mid-February.

Persons: —, CENTCOM, Marlin Luanda, Central Command Matthew Miller, Miller Organizations: Service, Liberian, Central Command, US, Command, MSC Sky, Marshall, State Department Locations: Aden, Iran, Yemen, Barbados, Bermuda, Gulf, Screengrab, Red

☆ Opinion | Inside America’s Shadow War With Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

You could hold a friendly regatta in the Taiwan Straits compared to where I just visited. I spent two days last week hopscotching in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter among seven U.S. military bases in western Jordan and eastern Syria with America’s senior Middle East Centcom commander, Gen. Michael Kurilla. What you have, instead, is the other Middle East war that began shortly after the tragic Israel-Hamas war that broke out on Oct. 7. They have learned to arm, build, adapt and deploy some of the most sophisticated precision weaponry in the world. That weaponry, provided by Iran, can hit a three-foot-wide target 500 miles away.

Persons: It’s, Michael Kurilla Organizations: Chinese Navy, Air Force, U.S . Navy, America’s, East, ISIS, U.S Locations: Taiwan, China, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Iran, Iraq, U.S, Gulf of Aden, Yemen

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

☆ 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

☆ Saudi Arabia, Russia and several OPEC+ producers extend voluntary crude supply cuts until end of June
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud gesture upon his arrival at the 8th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna on July 5, 2023Heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Russia, alongside several other key OPEC+ producers, will extend their voluntary crude supply cuts until the end of the second quarter. Saudi Arabia will stretch out its voluntary crude production cut of 1 million barrels per day until the end of the second quarter, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency said Sunday, citing an official source from the country's Ministry of Energy. Riyadh's crude production will be approximately 9 million barrels per day until the end of June, the announcement said. Back in November, OPEC+ countries had held a formal policy of collectively reducing their output by 2 million barrels per day until the end of 2024. Unlike formal policy changes, voluntary cuts do not require the group's unanimous consent during an official meeting and bypass the need to distribute production cuts or increases among OPEC+ members.

Persons: Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al, Saud, Alexander Novak, —, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Organizations: Saudi, Energy, OPEC, Organization for, Petroleum, Saudi Press Agency, country's Ministry of Energy, Tass, Moscow, Google, INA, Hamas, Saudi Energy Locations: Vienna, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Riyadh, Moscow, Russian, Iraq, UAE, Iran, Gaza, China, Aramco

☆ Ship sunk by Houthis threatens Red Sea environment, Yemen government and US military say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CARGO SHIP RUBYMAR, RED SEA -- MARCH 1, 2024: Maxar closeup view satellite imagery of the cargo ship Rubymar - just before sinking after being targeted by Houthi rebels last month. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the north of Yemen and other large centres, say their campaign is a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Rubymar went down in the southern Red Sea late on Friday or early on Saturday, according to statements from the Yemen government and CENTCOM. "An urgent plan should be adopted by countries of the Red Sea to establish monitoring agenda of the polluted areas in the Red Sea as well as adopt a cleanup strategy," he said. The ecosystem of the southern Red Sea features pristine coral reefs, coastal mangroves and diverse marine life.

Persons: Houthi, CENTCOM, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Ali Al, Al, Tony Wang Organizations: RED SEA, U.S . Central Command, U.S ., Marine, University of Jordan, Department of Earth, Environmental Sciences, Boston College, United Nations Locations: Iran, Yemen, Gaza, U.S, Belize, Africa, Red, United States, Britain, Suez, Aden, Saudi Arabia, United

☆ Oil on pace for monthly gain as OPEC+ expected to extend production cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria. Crude oil futures are headed for a second consecutive monthly gain as OPEC+ is expected to extend its production cuts through at least the second quarter. U.S. and Brent have gained about 6% month to date with first month contracts trading at a premium to later months. OPEC+ is considering extending its production cuts through at least the second quarter, three sources told Reuters Wednesday. The cartel could keep the cuts in place for the rest of the year, two of the sources said.

Persons: Brent Organizations: Organization of, Petroleum, West Texas Intermediate, Reuters Locations: Algiers, Algeria, OPEC, U.S, Canada, Guyana, Brazil, Israel, Lebanon, Red, Iran

☆ Opinion: In Ukraine’s swelling cemeteries, a lost generation of young men
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Opinion Michael Bociurkiw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Lviv CNN —Few places ooze the pain Ukrainians have been subjected to over the decades more than Lychakiv Cemetery in the western city of Lviv. These days, Lychakiv has become the burial ground for hundreds of service men and women killed in the most recent wave of Russian aggression. I’ve been coming to Lychakiv since the early weeks of the war to get a better sense of the human cost. “There are such cemeteries as Lychakiv all over Ukraine,” Lviv resident and community activist Lesia Krepyakevych told me. (Under Ukrainian law, men between the ages of 18 to 26 can’t be drafted, though they can volunteer).

Persons: Michael Bociurkiw, Michael Bociurkiw Chrystia, Ivan Franko, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Lychakiv, I’ve, Pavlo Palamarchuk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Lesia Krepyakevych, it’s, who’ve, can’t, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Johnson, Biden, Putin, Emmanuel Macon didn’t, David, Goliath Organizations: Atlantic Council, Organization for Security, Cooperation, CNN, Lviv CNN, Getty, West, ”, Senate, Republican, Ukraine – Locations: Europe, Lviv, Ukraine, Anadolu, ” Lviv, Red, Iranian, Russia, Kyiv, Washington, America

☆ German warship accidentally opened fire on an American drone, nearly costing the US another Reaper in its Red Sea fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A German warship accidentally tried to shoot down a US military combat drone this week. The frigate Hessen targeted the MQ-9 Reaper as it was on a mission around the Red Sea, a US official said. AdvertisementA German warship accidentally targeted an American combat drone that was operating around the Red Sea earlier this week, but a malfunction spared the US from losing another Reaper drone. A missile launches from a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea earlier this month. Screengrab/US Central Command via XMeanwhile, with this week's engagements — which saw Germany shoot down the two Houthi drones — Berlin joins the US, UK, and France in eliminating deadly threats launched by the rebels.

Persons: —, Boris Pistorius, Sina Schuldt, Aspides, Dwight D Organizations: Service, Berlin's, Airmen, Squadron, Nevada, Air, Bomb, US Air Force, Victoria, US Central Command, Hessen, Getty, Hellfire, Prosperity Guardian, EU, US Navy, Central Command, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Locations: Hessen, American, Sachsen, Germany, Red, Yemen, Russia, France

☆ 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

☆ Oil prices rise as market monitors Gaza cease-fire talks, OPEC production cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the annual National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 1, 2024. Crude oil futures rose Tuesday amid uncertainty about the prospects for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and as some investors expect OPEC+ will extend its production cuts beyond the first quarter. President Joe Biden told reporters in New York City on Monday that he hoped a cease-fire would be reached in the Israel-Hamas war by March 4. OPEC+ will soon make a decision on whether to extend its production cuts beyond the first quarter. Raj said the lack of clarity in the Israel-Hamas war and the ongoing turmoil with Houthi militants in Yemen gives traders little reason to sell oil right now.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, there's, Ahmed Abdel Hadi, Al Mayadeen, Goldman Sachs, Manish Raj, Raj, Israel, Charles van der Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, West Texas Intermediate, Brent, OPEC, Velandera Energy Partners, CNBC, Reuters, Maersk North Locations: Washington ,, Israel, New York City, Lebanon, U.S, Gaza, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Maersk

☆ Iran has reduced stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, says nuclear watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Adam Pourahmadi | Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Iran has reduced its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium in the months since October 2023, according to a confidential report from the International Atomic Weapons Agency (IAEA) viewed by CNN on Tuesday. In October, Iran possessed 128.3 kilograms (282.9 pounds) of uranium enriched to approximately 60%, the highest level documented by the IAEA. By February, the stockpile had been reduced to 121.5 kilograms, according to the report. Iran reduced the quantity of near weapons-grade uranium by mixing 31.8 kilograms of the stockpile with uranium enriched to a much lower level, around 2%, according to the report. However, while Iran had reduced its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, the report also noted a steady increase in stocks of uranium enriched to 20%.

Persons: IAEA Rafael Grossi, Donald Trump, Eric Brewer, Ben Taleblu, Majid Asgaripour, they’ve, ” Brewer, Brewer, Taleblu, “, ” Taleblu, Matthew Miller, Yemen’s Houthi Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Weapons Agency, IAEA, Center for Arms Control, United, Experts, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Governors, US State Department, American Locations: Iran, Bushehr, Israel

☆ US expected to reduce forces near to Middle East by removing Marine rapid response force from Mediterranean Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Marine rapid response force is expected to leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming weeks and return to the United States, according to two defense officials, in a significant reduction of US forces in the region. The Marine rapid response force first deployed in July and was sent to the region in October. It had previously been extended to remain in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as CNN reported. The US has maintained an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea since shortly after the October 7 attacks in Israel. The Ford carrier strike group, which had been extended several times, left the eastern Mediterranean Sea in early-January, replaced by the Bataan amphibious ready group and the Marine rapid response force.

Persons: “, hasn’t, ”, Sabrina Singh, Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Gerald R Organizations: CNN, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Pentagon, Marines, MEU, Eisenhower, Red Sea, Navy, Ford, US, Bataan Locations: United States, Bataan, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Red, Yemen, Gulf, Oman, Lebanese

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ US and UK carry out fourth round of coalition strikes against at least a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The strikes include at least dozens of targets across multiple locations in Yemen, according to one of the officials, including targets in the capital Sanaa and elsewhere. The targets included Houthi weapons, radar sites, command and control center, as well as underground weapons storage facilities. Earlier this month, the Pentagon said that the continued strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, which began in January, have destroyed more than 100 missiles and launches, including anti-ship missiles, drones, radars and more. It is also extremely expensive and impractical, some officials note, to keep firing multimillion-dollar missiles at cheap Houthi drones and missiles. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the number of strikes carried out against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Persons: Aden –, Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, United Nations, Command, US Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Yemen, Iran, Aden, Gaza, Suez, Africa, Gulf, Belize

☆ I catapulted off the deck of a US aircraft carrier in a largely windowless prop plane the Navy's been flying since the 1960s. It was jarring and intense.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Catapulting off an aircraft carrier is a sharp, jarring experience even more intense than the landing, and I recently experienced this firsthand in a US Navy C-2 Greyhound. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderThere were a couple of very small windows on the aging Greyhound, but they were behind me, mostly out of sight. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderAside from facing the wrong way, taking off from Bahrain felt a lot like any other commercial flight I've ever been on. AdvertisementMy first look at the flight deck after landing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderSuddenly, we shot up at a force that felt far greater than the catapult launch, gaining a lot of altitude in a quick spurt.

Persons: —, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Houthi, Ike, Jake Epstein, rocketing Organizations: Service, US, Greyhound, Grumman, Navy Locations: US Navy, Bahrain, Red, Iran, Yemen

☆ U.S. and British Warplanes Again Strike Houthi-Linked Targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

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. The strikes were intended to degrade the Iran-backed militants’ ability to attack ships in sea lanes that are critical for global trade, a campaign they have carried out for almost four months. American and British warplanes hit missile systems and launchers and other targets, the officials said. Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand provided support for the operation, according to a joint statement from the countries involved that was emailed to reporters by the Defense Department. The strikes, which the statement called “necessary and proportionate,” hit 18 targets across eight locations in Yemen associated with Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.

Persons: ” Organizations: Houthi, British, Defense Department Locations: States, Britain, Yemen, Iran, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand

☆ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked a defense boom. It’s likely to outlast the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“While some Ukraine-related orders are starting to come through, restocking and the impact of ongoing defense spending increases will be evident further down the line,” he noted. ‘Era of insecurity’Continued US military support for Ukraine on the scale of the past two years is looking increasingly unlikely. But the pressure on Western governments to beef up their military coffers will outlast the Ukraine war, analysts say, and it started to rise even before Moscow sent its troops marching toward Kyiv two years ago. The febrile global environment has helped lift the shares of Renk, a newly-listed German maker of military tank gearboxes, including those donated by Berlin to Ukraine. And this appeal is unlikely to fade soon, given growing defense spending by governments.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, That’s, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Trevor Taylor, Russia wouldn’t, Micael Johansson, Johansson, “, Charles Woodburn, ”, House Republicans —, Donald Trump, Moscow, Oli Scarff, Trump, Joe Biden, Houthi, It’s, Susanne Wiegand, Myles Walton, Sweden’s, … Organizations: London CNN, Russia, Kyiv, BAE Systems, Thales, Rheinmetall, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Royal United Services Institute, CNN, Saab, Ukraine, House Republicans, Republican, Kiel Institute, European Union, Getty, International Institute, Strategic, Renk, Reuters, New, Wolfe Research, Sweden’s Saab Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, United States, Canada, Russia, London, Europe, Swedish, Poland, Kyiv, Congress, German, European, Newcastle, Tyne, England, AFP, Beijing, Taiwan, China, Israel, Red, Berlin, Frankfurt, Gaza, New York

CNN —A cargo ship that was struck by a Houthi ballistic missile on Monday has created an 18-mile long oil slick in the Red Sea as it continues to take on water, two US officials said Friday. It appeared to be the first time a crew has been forced to evacuate a ship after it was hit by the Houthis. The Houthis’ attacks have been ongoing for months, and despite several rounds of strikes by the US and UK on their capabilities, US officials told CNN it’s unclear how much weaponry the militia group still has. The Houthis’ attacks have increased in recent days; Singh said Thursday there has “certainly” been “an increase in attacks from the Houthis” over the last 72 hours. One other ship hit by the Houthis on Monday — the M/V Sea Champion, a US-owned, Greek-flagged bulk carrier — was carrying grain to Yemen.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “, ”, Biden, Singh Organizations: CNN, Central Command, Command, US Central Command, Houthi, Pentagon, ” CNN, US Locations: Belize, Lebanese, Yemen, Red, Gulf, Aden, Israel, US

☆ 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: Conflict is the new normal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Fareed Zakaria is the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS, airing at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. But conflict is the new normal. The war is going badly for Ukraine, which is critically outgunned and outmanned by its much larger adversary. The IDF’s goal is to weaken Hezbollah to the point that the roughly 80,000 Israelis who fled their homes in northern Israel can return. At some point, Hezbollah might respond forcefully, which could trigger an Israeli incursion into Lebanon, truly widening the war.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Amir Levy, —, don’t Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, European, Gulf, Israel Defense Forces, United, British Navy, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, European, North Korea, Cuba, China, India, Turkey, Gulf States, Gaza, Hamas, British, Palestinian, Israel, Lebanon, North, Suez, United States, Red

☆ Houthi attacks on ships are giving the rebels and Iran intel on how to hunt down and strike naval targets, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Houthis have spent the past few months lobbing missiles and drones at ships off Yemen's coast. War experts say these attacks are giving Iran and the rebels, Tehran's proxies, valuable data. War experts say the rebels and Iran, their main backer, have been learning key information from the ongoing attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. US Central CommandThe Houthi rebels boast a sizable arsenal of one-way attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, and anti-ship ballistic missiles, the latter of which had never been used in combat until recently. Earlier this week, for example, a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile hit a bulk carrier, forcing its crew to issue a distress call and abandon the vessel.

Persons: —, Khaled Abdullah, John Kirby, Marlin Luanda, Sabrina Singh, Kirby Organizations: Navy, Service, US Navy, Institute for, American Enterprise Institute, US Central Command, International Institute for Strategic Studies, REUTERS, National Security, Marshall, Central Command, Pentagon Locations: Iran, Yemen, Gulf of Aden, resupplied, Tehran, Sanaa, Bermuda, Gulf, Aden

☆ New Freighters Could Ease Red Sea Cargo Disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Peter Eavis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After the Houthi militia started attacking container ships in the Red Sea last year, the cost of shipping goods from Asia soared by over 300 percent, prompting fears that supply chain disruptions might once again roil the global economy. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran and control northern Yemen, continue to threaten ships, forcing many to take a much longer route around Africa’s southern tip. One reason for the optimism is that a huge number of container ships, ordered two to three years ago, are entering service. Those extra vessels are expected to help shipping companies maintain regular service as their ships travel longer distances. The companies ordered the ships when the extraordinary surge in world trade that occurred during the pandemic created enormous demand for their services.

Persons: ”, Brian Whitlock Organizations: Gartner Locations: Red, Asia, Iran, Yemen

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