Houthi threats continue but attacks on ships in Red Sea appear to be on hold

Special Houthi threats continue but attacks on ships in Red Sea appear to be on hold
The Houthis showcase their arsenal of missiles at a military parade to mark the anniversary of their takeover of Sanaa, in Sanaa, Yemen, Sept. 21, 2023. (Reuters)
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Updated 23 April 2024
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Houthi threats continue but attacks on ships in Red Sea appear to be on hold

Houthi threats continue but attacks on ships in Red Sea appear to be on hold
  • Observers speculate the militia might be running out of drones and missiles, or air strikes by US and UK could have damaged launchers
  • Houthis have claimed credit for significantly fewer assaults this month and international marine agencies have reported a decline in the number of strikes

AL-MUKALLA: Despite ongoing threats by Houthi leaders in Yemen that they will continue to attack international shipping in the Red Sea, the number of strikes on vessels has drastically fallen in recent weeks.

The group has not claimed credit for any assaults on ships since April 10. Analysts speculate that the militia might be running out of missiles and drones, or air strikes on Houthi targets by the US and UK could have damaged their launchers.

Since November, the Houthis have launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and remotely controlled and explosive-laden boats at international commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden. They say they are acting in support of the Palestinian people and the aim is to force Israel to allow more humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

Compared with the early days of their campaign, the Houthis have claimed credit for significantly fewer assaults this month, and international marine agencies have reported a decline in the number of strikes.

The organization UK Maritime Trade Operations, which records attacks on shipping, has not received any notifications of incidents in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden since April 7, one of the longest periods with no reported attacks since the start of the Houthi campaign almost six months ago.

The US Central Command last reported intercepting Houthi missiles and drones on April 16. Prior to that it had been issuing almost daily notifications.

Despite the decline in attacks on shipping, the Houthis’ Political Office said on Monday it had instructed its military forces to escalate attacks in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea on ships linked to or bound for Israel in response to what it described as “genocide crimes” committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza.

Mohammed Al-Basha, an expert on the Middle East with the Navanti research group in the US, cautioned that the recent extended period without any claims of attacks does not necessarily mean the Houthis have halted their attacks in the Red Sea.

“The absence of frequent daily claims could also represent a strategic decision or the possibility of diplomatic or secret talks, rather than an operational inability,” he wrote in a message posted on social media platform X.

“This might suggest that the missile stockpile of the Houthis is diminishing, while the production of drones remains steady.”

Yemeni military analyst Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al-Kumaim suggested airstrikes in recent months by US and UK forces might have diminished the capability of the Houthis to launch attacks, and said the group might be settling into a war of attrition.

“The US may have targeted the few mobile missile launchers belonging to the Houthi militia; they need three or four launchers if they have 100 missiles,” he told Arab News.

The UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said on Monday he held talks with Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdul Sallam and Omani officials in Muscat to explore ways in which to advance a UN-brokered peace plan for Yemen while also reducing wider tensions in the Middle East.

Abdul Aziz Al-Bukair, a Houthi government minister of state, said the militia’s representatives discussed with Grundberg their recent negotiations with Saudi authorities, as well as issues such as payment of wages to public-sector workers, the reopening of key roads in Yemen, and oil exports.

The ongoing, UN-led peace efforts to end the near decade-long war in Yemen suffered a severe blow when the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November.


Dubai International Airport to receive 3.6m travelers during Eid holiday

Dubai International Airport to receive 3.6m travelers during Eid holiday
Updated 18 sec ago
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Dubai International Airport to receive 3.6m travelers during Eid holiday

Dubai International Airport to receive 3.6m travelers during Eid holiday
  • Departures during Eid week are expected to increase by 19 percent compared to the average weekly volume in February
  • Eid holiday period coincides with spring break for schools in April

LONDON: Dubai International Airport is expecting a busy two weekends with nearly 4 million passengers passing through as the month of Ramadan concludes and the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Fitr begins in April.

Dubai Airport is preparing to receive over 3.6 million guests passing through its terminals during the Eid travel peak from March 26 to April 7. Saturday, April 5, is expected to be the busiest day of the holiday period, with 309,000 travelers.

Departures during Eid week are expected to increase by 19 percent compared to the average weekly volume in February, with daily traffic projected to average 276,000 people.

Dubai Airport said the Eid holiday period coincides with spring break for schools in April, leading to a surge in travel to countries such as India, Pakistan, and the UK and an increase in leisure travel to destinations like Sri Lanka, Turkiye, and Italy.

The airport has recently launched DXB Express Maps, a smart navigation app that offers real-time directions across all terminals, ensuring smoother journeys during this busy period, it said in a statement. Travelers can scan the QR code on any flight information screen to find their gate and explore various dining and retail options.


Tunisian president urges increased migrant returns

Tunisian president urges increased migrant returns
Updated 17 min 53 sec ago
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Tunisian president urges increased migrant returns

Tunisian president urges increased migrant returns
  • The presidency said that “only 1,544 migrants have been repatriated” since the start of the year
  • The figure “could have been much higher if greater efforts had been made to put a final end to this phenomenon“

TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied has called on the International Organization for Migration to accelerate efforts in conducting voluntary returns for irregular migrants to their home countries.
In a statement posted on Facebook late Tuesday, the presidency said that “only 1,544 migrants have been repatriated” since the start of the year.
It said the figure “could have been much higher if greater efforts had been made to put a final end to this phenomenon.”
Tunisia has in recent years become a key departure point in North Africa for migrants making the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing in hopes of reaching Europe.
Each year, tens of thousands of mainly sub-Saharan African migrants attempt the crossing.
In some areas, Tunisia’s coastline lies less than 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa, often their first stop.
However, with mounting European Union efforts to curb migrant arrivals, many migrants find themselves stranded in Tunisia.
The IOM offers free flights to migrants volunteering for return and provides reintegration assistance in their home countries.
Tunisian authorities said 7,250 migrants had been repatriated through the program last year.
So far this year, the IOM says 343 people have died or gone missing attempting the Mediterranean crossing. Last year, 2,476 migrants died or went missing.
Earlier this month, Tunisia’s national guard rescued 612 migrants and recovered 18 bodies off the country’s coast.
About 8,743 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, a slight increase over the same period last year, according to Italy’s interior ministry.


Norway temporarily shuts South Sudan embassy over security

Norway temporarily shuts South Sudan embassy over security
Updated 38 min 21 sec ago
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Norway temporarily shuts South Sudan embassy over security

Norway temporarily shuts South Sudan embassy over security
  • South Sudan President Salva Kiir last week sacked the governor of Upper Nile state
  • The Norwegian embassy’s work will be carried out from Nairobi

COPENHAGEN: Norway’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it was temporarily shutting its embassy in South Sudan’s capital Juba due to the deteriorating security situation in the country.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir last week sacked the governor of Upper Nile state, where clashes have escalated between government troops and an ethnic militia he accuses of allying with his rival, First Vice President Riek Machar.
The standoff has heightened concerns that the world’s newest nation could slide back into conflict some seven years after its emergence from a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
The Norwegian embassy’s work will be carried out from Kenya’s capital Nairobi until further notice, Norway’s foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that the Juba mission would be reopened when the situation allowed it.


Arab League chief condemns Israeli attack on Syria’s Daraa province

Arab League chief condemns Israeli attack on Syria’s Daraa province
Updated 55 min 21 sec ago
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Arab League chief condemns Israeli attack on Syria’s Daraa province

Arab League chief condemns Israeli attack on Syria’s Daraa province
  • Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged the UN Security Council to ensure Tel Aviv respects the 1974 disengagement agreement
  • Israeli attack on Kuwayya killed at least 6 civilians, say Syrian authorities

LONDON: Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has condemned an Israeli attack on the Syrian village of Kuwayya, in Daraa province, in which several people died.

Aboul-Gheit said on Wednesday the Arab League strongly criticized Israeli aggression against Syria, adding it amounted to a serious violation of the country's sovereignty.

He added Israel was attempting to use the transitional period in Syria “to fuel sedition and conflict.”

Aboul Gheit urged the UN Security Council to halt Israeli action against Syria and ensure Tel Aviv respected international law and the 1974 disengagement agreement.

Syrian authorities said on Tuesday the attack on Kuwayya killed at least six civilians.

Israel has continued its bombing campaign in Syria even after the ousting of Bashar Assad, whose rule came to an end last year after a rebel advance forced him to flee to Russia.


Israel PM says opposition fueling ‘anarchy’ with protests

Israelis block a highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in a protest against PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Israelis block a highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in a protest against PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Updated 26 March 2025
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Israel PM says opposition fueling ‘anarchy’ with protests

Israelis block a highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in a protest against PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
  • Thousands of Israelis have taken part in several days of anti-government protests, accusing Netanyahu of resuming strikes in Gaza without regard for hostages

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused the opposition of fueling “anarchy” in Israel, after mass anti-government protests in recent days.
Addressing the opposition during a speech in parliament, Netanyahu said: “You recycle the same worn-out and ridiculous slogans about ‘the end of democracy’. Well, once and for all: Democracy is not in danger, it is the power of the bureaucrats that is in danger.”
“Perhaps you could stop putting spanners in the works of the government in the middle of a war? Perhaps you could stop fueling the sedition, hatred and anarchy in the streets?” he added.
Thousands of Israelis have taken part in several days of anti-government protests, accusing Netanyahu of undermining democracy and resuming strikes in Gaza without regard for hostages.
The demonstrations which erupted last week have been organized by a broad coalition of anti-Netanyahu groups, who called to protest the premier’s move to oust Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency.
Israel’s opposition filed an appeal against the move to dismiss Bar, calling it “a decision based on flagrant conflict of interest.”
Netanyahu has pressed ahead with proceedings to sack Bar, a move which the Supreme Court blocked on Friday. The government has also begun proceedings to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has challenged the legality of some of Netanyahu’s policies.
Following a rally in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, protesters are due to travel to Jerusalem for an anti-government demonstration outside parliament on Wednesday evening.
Israel resumed intense air strikes across the Gaza Strip last week, followed by ground operations, shattering the relative calm of a January ceasefire with Hamas.
There are 58 hostages still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead, out of the 251 seized during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023 which triggered the war.