Saudi Defence Minister Says Kingdom Is Committed to Supporting a Political Solution in Yemen
The Saudi defense minister, Prince Khalid Bin Salman, reiterated his country's support for Yemen and its commitment to efforts to promote talks that could resolve the conflict in the country. Bin Salman wrote on platform X, "Met with US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking to discuss Yemen and the Kingdom's support of UN efforts to establish a road map." He added, "I reiterated the Kingdom's commitment to supporting Yemen and promoting dialogue among parties to reach a political solution under UN supervision."Before the breakout of the Gaza-Israel war, the peace process in Yemen lost momentum as the Houthi group began attacking Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea.
Germany sent an air defence frigate on Thursday to join a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea that will be launched in mid-February to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group. "Free sea trade routes are the basis of our industry and of our capability to defend ourselves," the chief of the German navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, told reporters in Berlin. He added, "The current situation in the Red Sea has already caused bottlenecks in supply and forced some companies to stop their production." France, Greece, and Italy are among the countries that will participate in the EU mission named Aspides, meaning protector, which will initially see three vessels under EU command.
Japanese shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. issued a warning today that shipping disruptions might extend for up to a year, indicating that expectations for short-term disruptions are quickly fading. "It's a historic event," President Takeshi Hashimoto said in an interview, quoted by Bloomberg. Hashimoto said, "The situation will continue at least for the coming two or three months. And as a worst-case scenario, six months or one year." Mitsui OSK Lines has about 800 vessels in its fleet. It said last month that all transits through the Red Sea were halted due to Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to enter the overcrowded Gazan city of Rafah, even as a new round of talks aimed at securing a truce with Hamas were set to open Thursday in Cairo. Netanyahu announced the order after rejecting Hamas's response to a ceasefire proposal at the center of intense recent diplomatic efforts, though visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted on Wednesday that he still saw "space for agreement to be reached". Regarding the ceasefire proposal, he said: "Giving in to the bizarre demands of Hamas that we have just heard will... only invite another massacre."
