Lebanese FM Abdallah Bou Habib shows old pictures of Beirut city to the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell at the entrance of the Lebanese foreign ministry in Beirut on Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo)
EU foreign policy chief urges de-escalation at Lebanon-Israel border
US envoy visits Israel to warn against large-scale military action
Hezbollah adds another Israeli settlement to target list
Updated 12 September 2024
NAJIA HOUSSARI
BEIRUT: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called for a de-escalation of tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border, expressing fears of “more regional escalation due to the war in Gaza and especially in Lebanon.”
He called on Lebanese leaders to work for the interests of their country and its people and “not for someone else’s interests.”
During a visit to Beirut on Thursday, Borrell met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, and Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces Joseph Aoun.
He said that “the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701 should pave the way for a comprehensive settlement, including the demarcation of land borders between Lebanon and Israel.”
With more than 4,000 buildings completely destroyed and some 110,000 people having fled their homes in Lebanon, he said its people wanted peace, stability and prosperity — not war.
He added: “My main message today is that the EU stands with the Lebanese people to overcome the challenges as much as possible.”
Borrell warned that fears of further escalation and increased human suffering were growing and emphasized the importance of economic reform and bank restructuring.
The EU was ready to continue its support for Lebanon, he added: “We can help but we cannot overcome the internal obstacles. The Lebanese themselves can do so.”
Borrell’s meetings came amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on the Lebanese southern front.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Borrell: “Lebanon doesn’t want war but has the right and the capacity to defend itself.”
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati emphasized “the necessity to intensify the international and UN pressure to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon.”
Israeli Channel 12 reported that US envoy Amos Hochstein had arrived in Israel with a message that the country should refrain from large-scale military action in Lebanon. The channel said both the US and Israel realized a war with Hezbollah could lead to a multi-front conflict, but while Hochstein would make efforts for settlement in the north, such agreement was linked to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israeli action against Hezbollah has increased in recent days. The militia added the settlement of Rosh HaNikra to its list of targets for the first time, along with Matzuva which was hit with salvos of rockets.
A statement said this was “in response to Israel’s attacks on the steadfast southern villages and safe civilian homes, particularly the two wronged martyrs in El Biyada.”
In the town of El Biyada, an Israeli combat drone targeted a motorcycle and killed two brothers aged 12 and 17. Israeli artillery north of Ein Yaakov came under rocket fire, while Bayad Blida and Al-Malikiyah was attacked with heavy artillery shells.
Israeli media reported a fire north of Nahariya as a result of rocket fire from southern Lebanon, saying 50 rockets had been launched toward Western Galilee.
Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Alma Al-Shaab and the Labouneh area in Naqoura, and a drone targeted the outskirts of Maroun Al-Ras Park.
Israeli reconnaissance aircraft continued to fly over southern areas, especially western and central villages, extending to the outskirts of the Litani River and the coast.
Egypt affirms keenness on Lebanon’s security, preventing violation of its sovereignty, statement says
Hezbollah calls it biggest security breach in war with Israel
Iranian ambassador to Lebanon reportedly injured
Updated 14 sec ago
Reuters
CAIRO: Egypt affirmed its keenness on Lebanon’s security and stability and preventing the violation of its sovereignty from ‘any outside party’, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, shortly after deadly pager blasts in Lebanon that killed at least eight people.
Algeria’s president is being sworn in for a second term after lopsided election
The figures showed Tebboune leading Cherif who had run with the Movement of Society for Peace by around 75 percentage points
Updated 48 sec ago
AP
ALGIERS, Algeria: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was sworn in on Tuesday for a second term after being elected in a landslide vote marred by apathy and questions around the vote count.
The ceremony to inaugurate Tebboune’s second five-year term took place at the People’s Palace, in Club-des-Pins, a seaside resort on the west coast of the capital, Algiers. Tebboune’s two challengers, Islamist Abdellali Hassan Cherif and Socialist Youcef Aouchiche attended the ceremony that came three days after Algeria’s constitutional court certified Tebboune’s landslide victory in the Sept. 7 elections.
The court announced on Saturday after a recounting of the vote that Tebboune and his two opponents had called into question.
The figures showed Tebboune leading Cherif who had run with the Movement of Society for Peace by around 75 percentage points. Cherif won nearly 950,000 votes, or roughly 9.6 percent. Aouchiche’s Socialist Forces Front won more than 580,000 votes, about 6.1 percent.
With 7.7 million votes, the incumbent won 84.3 percent of the vote, surpassing his 2019 win by millions of votes and a double-digit margin.
Cherif and Aouchiche were criticized for participating in an election that government critics denounced as a way for Algeria’s political elite to make a show of democracy amid broader political repression.
Throughout the campaign, each of the three candidates emphasized participation, calling on voters and youth to participate and defy calls to boycott the ballot.
The nationwide turnout was 46.1 percent, surpassing the 2019 presidential election when 39.9 percent of the electorate participated, according to the court’s figures.
How an EU-led operation to salvage a burning Red Sea oil tanker hopes to prevent a major environmental disaster
Operation Aspides launched a critical salvage mission to prevent an oil spill that threatens to devastate the marine ecosystem
The Greek-flagged oil tanker, MV Sounion, was attacked by Houthi militants, raising fears of a major ecological and economic disaster
Updated 26 min 53 sec ago
Nadia Al-Faour
DUBAI: An EU-led operation to salvage a stricken oil tanker, which has been burning in the Red Sea for almost a month after coming under attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia, reached an important milestone on Monday, potentially staving off one of the worst ecological disasters in history.
The Greek-flagged oil tanker MV Sounion was attacked by Houthi militants on Aug. 21 off the coast of Hodeidah. Carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, the tanker was left severely damaged and at risk of spilling its cargo into one of the world’s most fragile marine ecosystems.
On Sept. 14, the salvage mission, led by the EU’s Operation Aspides, finally got underway after repeated delays. On Monday, it issued a statement via the social media platform X announcing the ship had been moved.
The Sounion “has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill,” the EU mission said. “While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, Aspides will continue to monitor the situation.”
On Monday, the EU’s Operation Aspides issued a statement announcing the ship had been moved. (X/@EUNAVFORASPIDES)
Until the vessel has been safely docked and unloaded, however, the environmental and commercial threat posed by a major spill remains.
The initial attack on the Sounion involved missiles launched by Houthi militants, which struck the vessel as it navigated through one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Soon after, the militants returned and detonated explosive charges, setting parts of the ship ablaze.
The attack is part of a broader Houthi campaign to disrupt global shipping as a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels in the Red Sea since October 2023, killing at least four sailors.
In response to the attacks, the US and UK have mounted strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. However, these strikes have failed to deter the militia’s attacks on shipping.
A satellite image taken on August 29, 2024 and released by Maxar Technologies shows fire on the deck of the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion. (AFP/Maxar Technologies)
The Sounion attack presents a multifaceted crisis. The immediate concern is the possibility of a catastrophic oil spill, potentially four times worse than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, which spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil and devastated the local ecosystem.
The Red Sea’s marine life, including its renowned coral reefs, is especially vulnerable, and a spill could have lasting consequences, affecting species and habitats for many decades to come.
Oil-soaked sea otters lie dead on Green Island beach more than a week after the beginning of the1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, which spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil and devastated the local ecosystem. (AFP)
Julien Jreissati, Greenpeace’s Middle East and North Africa program director, warned that the Red Sea’s unique coral species, some of the most resilient to climate change, are under threat.
Should a spill occur, its “magnitude could be nearly impossible to contain, spreading contamination across vast areas of seawater and coastlines,” Jreissati said in a statement.
The long-term impact on marine life would be “devastating, with oil residues potentially persisting in the environment for years or even decades,” he said, adding that the “potential for a major environmental disaster is significant as the vessel could break apart at any time.”
IN NUMBERS
150k Tonnes of crude oil aboard the Greek-flagged MV Sounion.
80 Vessels targeted by the Houthi militia since Oct. 7, 2023.
The economic and humanitarian impact would be equally severe. The Red Sea is not only home to diverse marine life but is also a vital global shipping route, connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa. A major oil spill would disrupt this passage, affecting global trade.
Furthermore, a spill could contaminate desalination plants that supply fresh water to millions in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Eritrea.
The Red Sea’s closed nature, bordered by the Suez Canal to the north and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait to the south, means that any contamination could persist in the water for an extended period.
Efforts to salvage the Sounion have been fraught with complications. The EU’s Aspides naval mission, established in February to protect merchant vessels in the region, is leading the rescue operation, working closely with private sector actors.
Early in the operation, the crew of 23 Filipinos and two Russians, along with four private security personnel, were rescued by a French vessel and taken to Djibouti.
Eighty vessels have been targeted by the Houthi militia since Oct. 7, 2023. (AFP)
Aspides initially attempted to tow the vessel earlier in September, but the mission was paused due to unsafe conditions and concerns about further damage to the tanker. It was not until mid-September that salvage crews were able to secure a connection to tow the vessel.
The towing process has been dangerous. The tanker, still smoldering and billowing smoke, had to be moved at a “painfully slow” pace to a safe location in the northern Red Sea.
Greek news agencies reported over the weekend that the rescue vessel, Aigaion Pelagos, was towing the Sounion, escorted by the rescue tug Panormitis and several frigates equipped with firefighting and oil spill recovery capabilities.
According to the Greek state news agency ANA-MPA, “three frigates, helicopters and a special forces unit” were involved in the salvage operation.
An image obtained from the US Central Command on March 6, 2024 shows a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier after it was hit by anti-ship ballistic missile launched by the Houthis. (AFP)
“Despite challenging conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 400 degrees Celsius due to the fire, the specialized salvage team successfully secured the tanker to the Aigaion Pelagos,” ANA-MPA reported.
The destination of the vessel remains undisclosed, and both ships’ radars have been turned off for safety reasons.
The complexity of the operation reflects the broader challenges faced by the international community in addressing the fallout from Houthi attacks.
While the US Navy has offered assistance, the operation is currently being managed by private entities, with no direct involvement from American forces.
A handout picture by Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah Media Center shows what they say is their targeting of Chios Lion, a Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker, by unmanned surface vessels in the Red Sea on July 15, 2024. (AFP)
Sabrina Singh, the deputy spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, confirmed earlier this month that the US Navy is “standing by” but has not been called into action.
The Houthi militia has justified its attacks on international shipping as part of its resistance to Israeli actions in Gaza, claiming that the Sounion belongs to a company with alleged ties to Israel.
However, the militia has also attacked multiple vessels with no ties to Israel.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree vowed further attacks as the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack that triggered the Gaza war approaches, signaling that the threat to Red Sea shipping is far from over.
Oil from FSO Safer (L) is transferred to a UN vessel on July 25, 2023. (AFP)
The Sounion crisis echoes the near catastrophe of the FSO Safer, another oil tanker that posed an enormous environmental threat in the Red Sea. The decaying vessel was anchored off the coast of Yemen for years with more than 1 million barrels of oil on board.
After months of international negotiations and funding efforts, the Safer was finally unloaded in 2023 under a UN-led effort, narrowly avoiding what could have been one of the worst oil spills in history.
The Safer’s precarious condition and the drawn-out efforts to secure it illustrated the difficulty of managing such crises in conflict zones.
Jordan armed forces downs drone attempting to cross Jordanian territory
Petra: ‘The border guard forces ... shot it down and it was transferred to the specialized authorities’
Jordan neighbors Syria and Iraq — both countries where Iranian proxy forces operate — and also is next door to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank
Updated 30 min 22 sec ago
Reuters
CAIRO: Jordanian armed forces thwarted an attempt by a drone to cross the kingdom’s territory, Jordan’s state news agency Petra said on Tuesday, without clarifying the direction from which it was coming.
“The border guard forces ... shot it down and it was transferred to the specialized authorities,” Petra said citing an official source in the army’s leadership.
Petra also quoted the source as saying: “We are dealing firmly with various threats on the kingdom’s borders.”
Jordan neighbors Syria and Iraq — both countries where Iranian proxy forces operate — and also is next door to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Jordanian statement came shortly after Lebanon’s Hezbollah group accused Israel of detonating pagers across Lebanon, killing at least eight people and wounding nearly 3,000 others including Iran’s envoy to Beirut.
In April, the kingdom shot down Iranian drones flying over to Israel.
More recently in September, a gunman from Jordan killed three Israelis at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the occupied West Bank before security forces shot him dead.
The Houthis claimed Tuesday that they had shot down three MQ-9s over the past week — a figure Ryder described as “too high”
Updated 17 September 2024
AFP
WASHINGTON: A US MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed near Yemen, the Pentagon said Tuesday, after Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed to have downed several of the aircraft in recent days.
“Yesterday, an MQ-9 did crash in the vicinity of Yemen. That is being investigated, but I don’t have any additional details to share,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists.
The Houthis claimed Tuesday that they had shot down three MQ-9s over the past week — a figure Ryder described as “too high.”
The Pentagon spokesman said he could not provide a specific number for security reasons, but that the Houthis’ figure “is not accurate.”
The latest drone crash came after the Pentagon confirmed in February that another MQ-9 — which can be used for both reconnaissance and strikes — went down off the Yemeni coast after apparently being struck by a Houthi missile.
The Houthis — who are opposed to government forces in Yemen and are one of several militant groups arrayed against Israel — began attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November.
They say they are attacking Israel-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war, but ships from multiple countries that have no ties to the conflict have been targeted.
