WASHINGTON/HOUSTON: Iran was “deeply involved” in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and its intelligence was critical to enable Yemen’s Houthi movement’s targeting of maritime vessels, the White House alleged on Friday.
“We have no reason to believe that Iran is trying to dissuade the Houthis from this reckless behavior, White House national security spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
Meanwhile, at least two ships transporting oil or oil products between the US Gulf Coast and India on Friday were re-routing from the Red Sea, according to vessel tracking data, as a US-led coalition geared up to help safeguard vessels from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants.
Iran-backed Houthis, who say they are supporting Palestinians under siege by Israel in the Gaza Strip, have attacked commercial shipping with drones and missiles, forcing shippers to change course and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa.
The Aigeorgis, which was chartered by BP to carry vacuum gasoil (VGO) from India’s Jamnagar to Texas, on Friday was headed along Africa’s East Coast toward the Cape of Good Hope, according to financial firm LSEG’s ship tracking data.
BP’s VGO shipments from Jamnagar historically moved through the Red Sea. The new route adds nine days to the journey between India and the US Gulf Coast. VGO is a refining feedstock used to produce gasoline and diesel.
A BP spokesperson declined to comment on the Aigeorgis but referred to an earlier statement on its decision to re-route ships. The company had said on Tuesday it would avoid the Red Sea and route vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.
The Sonangol Cabinda, chartered by Equinor to carry crude oil from Texas to India, did a 180-degree turn in the middle of the Red Sea on Thursday and was moving through the Suez Canal toward the Mediterranean, LSEG tracking data showed.
The US said the naval coalition announced last week involved 20 countries. Some have not confirmed their participation, however, while others have said operations to protect Red Sea commercial traffic will be as part of existing naval agreements. The lack of practical details for shippers has caused confusion for those still avoiding the region.
“We have also paused new activities that involves transit through the region,” an Equinor spokesperson said on Tuesday. Ships currently in the region were being rerouted or paused, the spokesperson said.
The Houthi attacks have led shippers to change routes, causing several African ports to become overwhelmed with the number of ships entering their waters.
“War risk premiums for tankers traveling via the Red Sea have been rising of late so that can make the longer (Cape of Good Hope) route a slightly less bitter pill for charterers,” said Jay Maroo, an analyst at energy data firm Vortexa.
Multiple tankers departing ports east of Suez bound for non-US destinations have also changed course or re-routed to avoid the Red Sea. Other tankers re-routing include the Bow Olympus, chartered by Equinor, according to data from LSEG. The tanker left the US Gulf Coast on Dec. 10 and re-routed while crossing the Atlantic for Suez, making a 90 degree turn, and set its destination to Durban, South Africa.
Meanwhile Almi Globe, chartered by BP, according to LSEG shipping data has also done a U-turn in the Mediterranean. The vessel had been heading for Suez until Thursday when it changed its destination to Las Palmas, Spain.
US alleges Iran ‘deeply involved’ in Red Sea Houthi operations as more tankers avoid vital waterway
https://arab.news/8g97r
US alleges Iran ‘deeply involved’ in Red Sea Houthi operations as more tankers avoid vital waterway
- The BP-chartered Aigeorgis was on Friday heading toward the Cape of Good Hope
- The US last week announced a naval coalition involving 20 countries
Hamas says ‘new’ Israeli conditions delaying agreement on Gaza ceasefire
“The ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations are continuing in Doha under the mediation of Qatar and Egypt in a serious manner... but the occupation has set new conditions concerning withdrawal (of troops), the ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of displaced people, which has delayed reaching an agreement,” the Palestinian militant group said in a statement.
Syria authorities say 1 million captagon pills torched
- Forces pour fuel over and set fire to a cache of cannabis, the painkiller tramadol and around 50 bags of pink captagon pills in the capital’s security compound.
DAMASCUS: Syria’s new authorities torched a large stockpile of drugs on Wednesday, two security officials told AFP, including one million pills of the amphetamine-like stimulant captagon, whose industrial-scale production flourished under ousted president Bashar Assad.
“We found a large quantity of captagon, around one million pills,” said a member of the security forces, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Osama. An AFP journalist saw forces pour fuel over and set fire to a cache of cannabis, the painkiller tramadol and around 50 bags of pink captagon pills in the capital’s security compound.
UK to host Israel-Palestine peace summit
- PM Starmer drawing on experience working on Northern Ireland peace process
- G7 fund to unlock financing for reconciliation projects
LONDON: The UK will host an international summit early next year aimed at bringing long-term peace to Israel and Palestine, The Independent reported.
The event will launch the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, which is backed by the Alliance for Middle East Peace, containing more than 160 organizations engaged in peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer who worked on the Northern Ireland peace process, ordered Foreign Secretary David Lammy to begin work on hosting the summit.
The fund being unlocked alongside the summit pools money from G7 countries to build “an environment conducive to peacemaking.” The US opened the fund with a $250 million donation in 2020.
As part of peacebuilding efforts, the fund supports projects “to help build the foundation for peaceful co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians and for a sustainable two-state solution.”
It also supports reconciliation between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel, as well as the development of the Palestinian private sector in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Young Israelis and Palestinians will meet and work together during internships in G7 countries as part of the scheme.
Former Labour Shadow Middle East Minister Wayne David and ex-Conservative Middle East Minister Alistair Burt said the fund is vital in bringing an end to the conflict.
In a joint piece for The Independent, they said: “The prime minister’s pledge reflects growing global momentum to support peacebuilding efforts from the ground up, ensuring that the voices of those who have long worked for equality, security and dignity for all are not only heard, but are actively shaping the societal and political conditions that real conflict resolution will require.
“Starmer’s announcement that the foreign secretary will host an inaugural meeting in London to support peacebuilders is a vital first step … This meeting will help to solidify the UK’s role as a leader in shaping the future of the region.”
The fund is modeled on the International Fund for Ireland, which spurred peacebuilding efforts in the lead-up to the 1999 Good Friday Agreement. Starmer is drawing inspiration from his work in Northern Ireland to shape the scheme.
He served as human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board from 2003-2007, monitoring the service’s compliance with human rights law introduced through the Good Friday Agreement.
David and Burt said the UK is “a natural convener” for the new scheme, adding: “That role is needed now more than ever.”
They said: “The British government is in a good position to do this for three reasons: Firstly, the very public reaching out to diplomatic partners, and joint ministerial visits, emphasises the government turning a page on its key relationships.
“Secondly, Britain retains a significant influence in the Middle East, often bridging across those who may have differences with each other. And, thirdly, there is the experience of Northern Ireland.
“Because of his personal and professional engagement with Northern Ireland, Keir Starmer is fully aware of the important role civil society has played in helping to lay the foundations for peace.”
Erdogan announces plans to open Turkish consulate in Aleppo
- Erdogan also issued a stern warning to Kurdish militants in Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that Turkiye will soon open a consulate in Syria's Aleppo.
Erdogan also issued a stern warning to Kurdish militants in Syria, stating they must either "lay down their weapons or be buried in Syrian lands with their weapons."
The remarks underscore Turkiye's firm stance on combating Kurdish groups it views as a threat to its national security.
Turkish military kills 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, ministry says
- Turkiye regards the YPG, the leading force within the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the PKK and similarly classifies it as a terrorist group
ANKARA: The Turkish military killed 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, the defense ministry said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry reported that 20 Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Syrian Kurdish YPG militants, who were preparing to launch an attack, were killed in northern Syria, while one militant was killed in northern Iraq.
“Our operations will continue effectively and resolutely,” the ministry added.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the European Union, and the United States, began its armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
Turkiye regards the YPG, the leading force within the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the PKK and similarly classifies it as a terrorist group.
Following the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier this month, Ankara has repeatedly insisted that the YPG must disband, asserting that the group has no place in Syria’s future.
The operations on Wednesday come amid ongoing hostilities in northeastern Syria between Turkiye-backed Syrian factions and the YPG.
Ankara routinely conducts cross-border airstrikes and military operations targeting the PKK, which maintains bases in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq.
