Browsing: Region
The Arab League welcomed the decision of the United Kingdom to ban trade with goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements, as well as the intention expressed by twelve friendly countries to take similar steps by imposing restrictions on trade with goods produced in settlements that are illegal under international law.In a statement today, Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil Fahmy considered that these measures, which included a clear statement from those countries, a step in the right direction towards addressing the illegal Israeli settlement system, restoring an accountability approach and not turning a blind eye to the rogue behavior of the occupation government.Fahmy stressed that the concrete and practical measures in the face of the settlement system aimed at undermining the two-state solution reflect the sense of all parties of the gravity of the developments taking place in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the apartheid regime established by the occupation, and its unleashing of settler terrorism against unarmed Palestinian civilians under the protection and encouragement of the Israeli government.The Secretary-General of the Arab League called on all countries that still believe in international law and in the two-state solution as the only way to settle the conflict between Palestine and Israel, to join this courageous position taken by the United Kingdom, which was clearly expressed in the statement of the twelve countries. He stressed that practical and concrete measures against the racist settlement system will make the occupation think about the cost of its illegal practices after years of absence of the logic of accountability and punishment. Source link
The Saudi Civil Defence announced on Wednesday that the danger has passed in the Khamis Mushait area, located in southern Saudi Arabia, after an early warning was issued earlier today.In a statement posted on X platform, the Saudi Civil Defence urged citizens to follow instructions and to completely avoid gathering in groups and taking photographs in order to ensure their safety. Source link
Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi has strongly and unequivocally condemned the attacks carried out by the Houthi group against the south of Saudi Arabia, and its deliberate targeting of civilians, national assets, civilian infrastructure, and civilian objects, which resulted in civilian injuries.He noted that these attacks were carried out in flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and with deliberate disregard for the security and safety of civilians and regional stability.He also underlined that these recurring attacks once again reveal the intentions of the Houthi group and demonstrate its explicit rejection of all efforts and endeavors aimed at achieving peace and stability in Yemen.Albudaiwi stressed that the targeting of civilian facilities and the capabilities of states is a condemnable act that cannot be justified or tolerated under any pretext, and that the continuation of the Houthi group in these hostile practices represents a flagrant challenge to the international community and a direct threat to regional and international security and peace.He further underscored the urgent need for the international community to adopt a firm and deterrent stance against these violations, hold perpetrators and their backers accountable, and halt this ongoing conduct that jeopardises regional security and the interests of its people.Albudaiwi reiterated that the GCC member states stand united alongside Saudi Arabia, expressing full solidarity with the kingdom in confronting all threats to its security, stability, sovereignty, and national capabilities.He reaffirmed total GCC support for all measures and actions taken by the kingdom to protect its territory, citizens, and residents, wishing the injured a swift and full recovery. – Source link
Egypt condemned in the strongest terms missile and drone attacks that targeted Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran in Saudi Arabia, wounding tens of civilians including women and children, calling the strikes a serious escalation that violates Saudi sovereignty and threatens the safety of its people.In a statement published today, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Egypt’s full support to Saudi Arabia, stating that it stands fully alongside the Kingdom in facing any threats to its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, voicing complete rejection of any targeting of civilians and civilian facilities. The ministry also stressed that Saudi Arabia’s security is inseparable from Egyptian and Arab national security. Related Story Source link
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemned and denounced in the strongest terms the Houthi targeting of civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, which resulted in the injury of 73 civilians, including women and children, in addition to its continued targeting of commercial ships in the Red Sea and threatening the freedom of international maritime navigation. In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the country’s categorical rejection of the hostile approach and criminal behavior that the Houthi group has consistently pursued in threatening the security and stability of Yemen and its Arab and Islamic surroundings, and its continued rejection of all peace efforts.Saudi Arabia affirmed its legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, protect its national assets, and maintain the security and safety of its citizens and residents, stressing that it would not tolerate any aggression targeting its territory and assets, in accordance with the rules of international law.The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned against the consequences of continued Houthi attacks on innocent civilians and civilian facilities, stressing the need for an immediate halt to all forms of escalation practiced by the group and its continued threats to maritime security. Saudi Arabia called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and implement the relevant Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2216 (2015) and Resolution 2722 (2024). Related Story Source link
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al Malki stated that the escalation by the Houthi group and its attempts to target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its national assets, its citizens, and residents on its territory is a dangerous escalation that confirms the hostile and irresponsible approach.The Major General explained that the Houthi group’s senseless attacks, the latest of which targeted civilian and economic sites in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran, resulting in injuries to 73 civilians including women and children, constitute a blatant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and a direct threat to the security and safety of its citizens and residents.These unjustified attacks committed by the Houthi group deliberately harm the Kingdom’s national resources, facilities, and civilian sites.The Major General affirmed that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will take all necessary operational measures to deter the Houthi group and resolutely confront its hostile approach in defense of the Kingdom’s sovereignty, the preservation of its national assets and the safety of its citizens and residents. It will also take all necessary measures and actions to respond to the sources of the threat and neutralize them. Related Story Source link
The Saudi Ministry of Energy said that a number of citizens and residents sustained injuries of varying severity after energy facilities and infrastructure in the southern region of the Kingdom were targeted this morning.A source from the Ministry of Energy said that the relevant authorities are continuing to address the repercussions of the attacks and are taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of facilities and personnel, as well as the continuity of operations in accordance with approved operational plans, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).The attacks caused fires at several locations, leading to a temporary halt in some operations. Specialized field teams have begun containing the fires, securing the sites, and assessing the damage. Related Story Source link
Oman’s navy yesterday revealed that it had rescued 16 crew members from a Saudi-flagged oil tanker that Iran attacked one week ago in the Strait of Hormuz.”A Royal Navy of Oman vessel provided logistical support to the tanker’s 25-member crew and evacuated 16 crew members while ensuring that the necessary medical care was provided,” Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said in a statement.The statement did not elaborate on the fate of all the crew members but confirmed two seamen on the vessel, the SIDR, had been killed in the incident.Saudi Arabia’s national shipping firm said on Wednesday that two Filipino sailors were killed when the tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz as fresh violence flared between the US and Iran earlier in the week.After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran disrupting traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the US persisting with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. Source link
The United Arab Emirates is building alternative routes for its energy exports and trade to ensure they are not “held hostage” by the ongoing war between the US and Iran, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said.The conflict has had a significant impact on Gulf Arab states, including the UAE, after Tehran fired missiles at the country and attacked its oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.”Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and economic activity,” Gargash told the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi.The UAE has been expanding port capacity along its eastern coast, as well as developing pipelines, railways and trade routes for alternative corridors, he said.While acknowledging that relations with Iran could eventually recover, Gargash warned that rebuilding trust after the attacks could take decades.He also criticised Gulf Arab states for failing to mount a co-ordinated response to Iran, saying they had been unable to translate shared concerns into a unified strategy.Gargash argued that while the partnership with the US is essential, the six-month conflict has exposed the importance of national capabilities.”Our security is our first priority. When we depend entirely on others, we cannot always assume it will be their priority,” he said.Iran followed through on its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, once a conduit for a fifth of global energy supplies. The disruption sent energy prices soaring and sparked a global economic crisis.The waterway’s status remains a central obstacle in negotiations between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, with Iran claiming the strait belongs to Iran and Oman — a position Gulf states broadly reject.”Freedom of navigation is not a concession to be granted, nor a principle to be renegotiated under pressure,” Gargash said, adding that any long-term resolution must include credible guarantees against further Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states.The conflict, sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, remains deadlocked. A preliminary ceasefire reached in June has unravelled, and little progress has been made in efforts to revive the peace process. Source link
Iran threatened yesterday to retaliate against any new US attacks on its assets, warning that energy infrastructure across the Gulf, including US oil and gas interests, was vulnerable. “Strike our assets and you get struck,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said after US and Iranian strikes on shipping at the weekend that pushed oil prices up near six-week highs yesterday. The latest threat underscores the risks of further escalation after the sides traded blows again at the weekend, with no sign of progress towards a diplomatic breakthrough that could end more than six months of conflict and restore normal energy flows through the Gulf. Iran has tightened restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil and gas supplies, since the war began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28. On Sunday, senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran would soon announce a new restricted zone in the Gulf and unveil a new shipping corridor through the strait. Rezaei said the zone would begin where a US naval blockade of Iran starts and extend into parts of the Gulf. Any vessel entering the area would be placed on an Iranian sanctions list. Source link