NEW YORK: Members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday called on Yemen’s Houthis to halt their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they are illegal and threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation and global food supplies.
Addressing the council’s first formal meeting of 2024, members also demanded that the Houthis release the Galaxy Leader, a Japanese-operated cargo ship linked to an Israeli company, and its crew, which the group seized on Nov. 19.
Some members urged the council to take action to halt the Houthi missile and drone attacks. But the body took no formal steps in the open session before going into closed consultations.
The United States believes the situation has reached an “inflection point,” Chris Lu, a US representative to the United Nations, told the council.
“These attacks pose grave implications for maritime security, international shipping and commerce, and they undermine the fragile humanitarian situation in Yemen,” threatening aid deliveries to the war-torn country, Lu said.
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have launched drones and missiles at more than 20 ships since Nov. 19, saying that in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, they were targeting vessels with Israeli links or were sailing to Israel.
But many vessels have had no Israeli connection and were not bound for Israeli ports, and major shipping lines have suspended their operations through the Red Sea.
The United States and other countries last month formed a naval task force, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect civilian vessels. US warships have shot down Houthi-fired weapons, and on Sunday sank Houthi speed boats.
Hours before the Security Council met, the United States and 12 other countries warned in a joint statement that the Houthis “will bear the responsibility of the consequences” should the attacks persist.
During the session, the US, British and Israeli representatives accused Iran of supporting the Houthi strikes, a charge Tehran has denied.
“The Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels” without Iran’s backing, said Lu.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki was among those calling for the council to act to halt the attacks, although he did not specify what steps it should take.
“Japan believes the Security Council should take an appropriate action to deter additional threats by the Houthis and maintain international peace and security,” he said.
Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia urged Houthi leaders to ease any actions posing threats to commercial vessels and their crews.
But, he said, the root of the issue was that it was an extension of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and he criticized Washington for blocking resolutions calling for a cease-fire.
China called the Red Sea an important shipping lane for the international goods and energy trade on Thursday, and said it is of common interest to safeguard its peace and stability.
“China opposes attacks against civilian vessels. I believe all sides need to play a constructive and responsible role in safeguarding the security of shipping lanes in the Red Sea,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular news briefing.
UN Security Council members call for Houthis to stop attacks on shipping
https://arab.news/gn9cb
UN Security Council members call for Houthis to stop attacks on shipping
Aoun to US envoy: We look forward to American support in strengthening security in southern Lebanon
- Lebanese leader announces dramatic increase in troop deployment south of the Litani River
- Hezbollah condemns assassination threats against Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as ‘reckless’ and warns of ‘grave consequences’
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun assured US Ambassador to Turkiye and Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, that Lebanon “looks forward to US support in its efforts to restore security and stability in the south,” adding that this includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the five occupied hills, an end to hostilities, and the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate.
He said that UNIFIL, in coordination with the Lebanese Army, is working to implement Resolution 1701, ultimately enabling the army’s deployment along the internationally recognized borders.
Aoun also said that Lebanon will increase the number of army personnel deployed south of the Litani River to 10,000 soldiers. Their responsibilities include eliminating unauthorized armed presence, seizing illegal weapons and ammunition, and ensuring that only official security forces operate in the area.
However, he added that their ability to fully carry out this mandate remains hindered by the Israeli occupation of the five hills and the surrounding areas.
The Lebanese president reaffirmed the country’s commitment to advancing the principle of exclusive state control over weapons. He informed Barrack that “consultations are ongoing at both the Lebanese and Palestinian levels regarding the issue of arms in the Palestinian refugee camps, with the hope that these efforts will intensify once the region stabilizes, following the recent escalation in the Israeli-Iranian conflict.”
A source at the presidency told Arab News: “Barrack was informed that Lebanon is moving toward the withdrawal of weapons from north of the Litani River, but this process will take time. Hezbollah is a Lebanese party, and its members will remain in the country. There is historical precedent — after the civil war, militias gradually handed over their weapons to the state, a process that took considerable time to complete.”
The source said that Barrack, who is overseeing the Lebanese file until a successor to former US envoy Morgan Ortagus is appointed, “demonstrated an understanding of Lebanon’s position during his meetings with political officials on the disarmament issue, and his response was generally seen as positive.”
While no official response was issued regarding Barrack’s warning about potential Hezbollah involvement alongside Iran, the party released a statement on Thursday condemning US threats against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Hezbollah warned that “threatening his assassination is not only a political miscalculation, but a reckless act with dangerous consequences.”
Hezbollah affirmed that it is “more firmly committed than ever to the path of Imam Khamenei and his firm stance, and more united around his leadership in confronting US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic. Through its blind support for Israel, the US is steering itself toward an abyss from which it will not emerge.”
On Thursday, the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon received a large delegation of Lebanese parties, political forces, and figures aligned with Hezbollah, along with representatives from Palestinian factions closely affiliated with the party.
The visit was held to “affirm their solidarity with Iran in the face of Israeli aggression.”
Iranian Chargé d’Affaires Tawfiq Samadi said that “any military response by Iran will be measured, precise, gradual, and proportionate to the level of threat.”
He placed responsibility on the US for its unwavering support of Israel, saying that it bears accountability for “the crimes committed against Iran.”
While acknowledging that the US is not currently a direct party to the aggression, he cautioned that “continued American support for Israeli actions would carry strategic and legal consequences.”
Iran arrests dissident rapper formerly on death row: supporters
Salehi, 34, has bitterly criticized Israel’s strikes on his country as well as the failure of Iranian authorities to protect citizens
PARIS: Iranian authorities have arrested Toomaj Salehi, a prominent rapper who is sharply critical of the Islamic republic’s leadership, the artist’s supporters said on his social media accounts on Thursday.
The reported arrest of Salehi, who is known to fans as Toomaj and had previously been sentenced to death in the wake of nationwide protests, comes amid the nearly week-old war triggered by Israeli attacks on Iran and as rights groups have warned of a crackdown on dissent by Tehran.
Salehi, 34, has bitterly criticized Israel’s strikes on his country as well as the failure of Iranian authorities to protect citizens in the face of the bombardment which began on Friday.
According to a statement published by supporters of Salehi on his official Instagram and X accounts, he had been arrested in the Gulf island of Kish, on Iran’s southern coast.
“We have no information about the detaining agency, his place of detention, or his health. The government is directly responsible for anything that happens to his health and life,” it said.
“Toomaj must be released immediately.”
Rights groups have sounded the alarm on a crackdown in Iran against the background of the Israeli attacks which analysts believe could be aimed at ousting the country’s clerical leadership.
Amnesty International said on Wednesday that “Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing Internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country.”
Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said on Thursday that at least 223 people have been arrested nationwide on charges related to collaboration with Israel.
The group said its tally is based on official media reports, but the real figures are likely higher.
Internet monitor Netblocks said that Iran was under its most severe “blackout incident” since a 2019 wave of protests.
Salehi was previously arrested in October 2022 after publicly backing demonstrations that erupted a month earlier, triggered by the death in custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
He was initially sentenced to death in a verdict that caused international uproar but it was later reduced to prison time and he was released in December 2024.
Activists have accused Iran of torturing him during his 2022 arrest, after state media published a video purporting to show the rapper blindfolded, with bruising on his face, apologizing for his support of the protests.
Turkiye should investigate ‘police violence’ against protesters: Amnesty
- Authorities said they arrested nearly 1,900 people during the protests
- Amnesty said it had “verified dozens of videos documenting how protesters were beaten, kicked and dragged”
ISTANBUL: Amnesty International called on Turkish authorities Thursday to launch an investigation into alleged “police violence” during a wave of protests this year, saying some instances “could amount to acts of torture.”
The arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, the leading opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sparked Türkiye’s worst street protests in over a decade.
“Our findings reveal damning evidence of unlawful force frequently used by law enforcement officers,” said Esther Major, a deputy director at the global human rights group.
“The authorities used tear gas, pepper spray, kinetic impact projectiles and water cannons against people who were simply exercising their rights,” she said in a statement.
“The violations documented constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and, in some cases, may amount to torture,” Major said, calling for the launch of an investigation.
Imamoglu was widely seen as the biggest political rival to Erdogan and his jailing is likely to prevent him from running in the 2028 presidential election.
Authorities said they arrested nearly 1,900 people during the protests, most of whom were accused of participating in illegal gatherings.
The vast majority have since been released.
Amnesty said it had “verified dozens of videos documenting how protesters were beaten, kicked and dragged on the ground by law enforcement officials even when they were dispersing, not resisting or were already restrained.”
The NGO said some “protesters were subjected to water cannon, tear gas, kinetic impact projectiles by police, often at very close range directly targeting the head and upper body, in violation of international human rights law.”
One of them required retinal surgery and may lose sight in one eye, Amnesty said.
France preparing to help its citizens in Israel, Iran leave, Barrot says
- Barrot told reporters that a convoy will be arranged by the end of the week
- French citizens in Israel will be able to board buses starting Friday morning
PARIS: France is preparing to help its citizens in Israel and Iran to leave those countries amid a week of strikes exchanged between the two rivals, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday.
Barrot told reporters that a convoy will be arranged by the end of the week to get French nationals without their own means of doing so to the Turkish or Armenian borders from Iran to access airports in those countries.
French citizens in Israel will be able to board buses starting Friday morning from the Jordanian border for airports in Jordan, with a flight chartered from Amman by the end of the week to aid the passage of French citizens who are vulnerable or in emergency situations, Barrot said.
Separately, Barrot reiterated that France was committed to holding a conference on a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, after France postponed one scheduled for this week.
UN rights chief condemns civilian toll of Israel-Iran escalation, warns of regional conflagration
- ‘Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians,’ says Volker Turk
- Official figures from both sides put the death tolls at 224 in Iran and at least 24 in Israel, and mass displacement is surging, particularly in Tehran
NEW YORK CITY: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday condemned the mounting civilian toll in the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, and warned that the conflict risks plunging the wider region into war.
In a strongly worded statement he said the “wide-scale, continuing attacks” by Israel on Iranian territory and the retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran were having “severe human rights and humanitarian impacts” on civilians.
“The extensive airstrikes and missile and drone attacks have already caused significant harm beyond military objectives,” Turk said, citing attacks that have killed civilians and damaged critical infrastructure including hospitals, homes, water supply systems and energy facilities.
According to the latest official figures from Tehran, 224 people have been killed in the attacks on Iran, though human rights groups estimate the toll to be more than twice that number. In Israel, government figures report at least 24 dead and more than 840 wounded. Displacement is surging, particularly in the Iranian capital, where evacuation orders have prompted the large-scale flight of people from affected areas.
Turk urged both nations to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the in particular the legal obligation to distinguish between military and civilian targets, and to refrain from indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks.
“It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities,” he said. “Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians.”
He called for “maximum restraint,” respect for international law, and a return to the negotiating table as the only way to halt the “spiraling illogic of escalation.”
The latest flare-up, which began when Israel launched attacks on Iran on June 13, follows months of rising tensions and tit-for-tat strikes that have drawn concern from regional powers and global leaders who fear a wider escalation of war in the Middle East.
