Saudis urge De-escalation of ‘Dangerous’ Situation in Red Sea
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has said the kingdom is “very worried” that tensions in the Red Sea amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthis and US strikes on Houthi targets could spiral out of control and escalate the conflict in the region. “I mean, of course, we are very worried. I mean, you know, we are in a very difficult and dangerous time in the region, and that’s why we are calling for de-escalation,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN ‘Fareed Zakaria GPS’ in an interview that was set to be aired on Sunday. Attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi group on ships in and around the Red Sea for the past several weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and risked widening the conflict in the region. The Saudi foreign minister said the kingdom believed in freedom of navigation and wanted tensions in the region to be de-escalated. Houthis say they will stop their attacks on ships when the Israeli war on Gaza ends.
Iran has announced the deployment of its naval warships on a 'multidimensional mission' in international waters, coinciding with the escalation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, including targeting American ships. Iranian Navy Commander, Shahram Irani, stated in press remarks that four combat fleets are currently carrying out missions in international waters simultaneously. The fleet, consisting of the warships Bushehr and Tonb, departed from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas two days ago, according to the Tasnim News Agency.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Sunday it would spend 405 million pounds ($514 million) to upgrade a missile system now being used by the Royal Navy to shoot down hostile drones over the Red Sea. The Sea Viper Air Defence system will be upgraded with missiles featuring a new warhead and software enabling it to counter ballistic missile threats, the MoD said in a statement.U.S. and British naval forces in the Red Sea have shot drones and missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi movement this month as the conflict between Israel and Hamas spilled out into the broader region.
The health ministry in Gaza on Sunday said the death toll in the war-torn Palestinian territory breached 25,000 as Israel pushed its southward offensive and renewed bombardment in the north. Witnesses told AFP Israeli boats were bombarding Gaza City and other areas in the north early Sunday. Hamas has also reported heavy combat in the north. “Dozens are still under the rubble,” the Hamas government’s media office said, adding that the dead and injured “could not be transferred to hospitals due to the continued artillery shelling on... Khan Yunis and the Tal Al-Hawa area in Gaza City and the north.” Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground offensive have killed at least 25,105 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
