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Yemeni Official: Houthi Attacks Call for More Fleets in the Region

The USS Carney, which responded to Houthi attacks (AP)
The USS Carney, which responded to Houthi attacks (AP)
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Yemeni Official: Houthi Attacks Call for More Fleets in the Region

The USS Carney, which responded to Houthi attacks (AP)
The USS Carney, which responded to Houthi attacks (AP)

A Yemeni military official on Tuesday accused the Houthis of provoking foreign fleets to come to the region through attacks targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Spokesman of Yemen’s National Resistance Forces Brigadier Sadiq Dowied saw the attacks as a service to Iran, stressing that they do not serve the Palestinian cause and undermine the sympathy of international public opinion with the innocents in the Gaza Strip.
Dowied told Asharq Al-Awsat that Yemen condemns Israel’s escalation of its crimes in Gaza, warning that tampering with the security and sovereignty of Yemeni waters and international sea lanes is a service to Iran.
The Yemeni military commander believed the Houthi attacks, most recently the attack on two ships in the southern Red Sea, were a “waste of Yemen’s sovereignty” over its waters, causing chaos and calling for more international forces and fleets in the region.
- Service to Iran
Yemeni author Nabil al-Soufi believes the Houthi attacks on “international trade” in Bab al-Mandab will increase international support for Israel.
He said the recent attacks confirm that northern Yemen has become a “loose” area for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as a camp.
Soufi noted that Iran’s other affiliates have not recorded any international violations like the Houthis, who strike international trade institutions that governments do not own in the first place.
According to him, the ships attacked belong to multinational companies managed by stock exchanges, insurance and transportation companies, and other institutions.
He said that instead of focusing on peace and using the Hodeidah port to generate profit that benefits the people, Houthis proved fundamentally that they are incapable of putting the interest of the country and the people first.
Meanwhile, researcher Ibrahim Jalal warned that repeated “Houthi adventures” targeting international shipping lines would increase insurance costs, leading to a price hike.
Jalal warned that the attacks and hijacking of ships will lead to the military presence in the Gulf of Aden and the seas associated with it.
The US Central Command (Centcom) had announced that a US destroyer engaged and shot down on Sunday a UAV launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
CENTCOM said in a statement that there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea.
“The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the distress calls from the ships and provided assistance.”
The statement added that the drone was headed toward CARNEY, although its specific target is unclear. “We cannot assess at this time whether the Carney was a target of the UAVs.”

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Arab World

Lebanese Say Israel Preventing Post-war Reconstruction

Israel says it is striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon to prevent the group from rebuilding its strength in breach of a ceasefire, but local people complain it is destroying civilian reconstruction efforts (AFP/MAHHMOUD ZAYYAT)
Israel says it is striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon to prevent the group from rebuilding its strength in breach of a ceasefire, but local people complain it is destroying civilian reconstruction efforts (AFP/MAHHMOUD ZAYYAT)
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Lebanese Say Israel Preventing Post-war Reconstruction

Israel says it is striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon to prevent the group from rebuilding its strength in breach of a ceasefire, but local people complain it is destroying civilian reconstruction efforts (AFP/MAHHMOUD ZAYYAT)
Israel says it is striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon to prevent the group from rebuilding its strength in breach of a ceasefire, but local people complain it is destroying civilian reconstruction efforts (AFP/MAHHMOUD ZAYYAT)

When engineer Tarek Mazraani started campaigning for the reconstruction of war-battered southern Lebanon, Israeli drones hovered ominously overhead -- their loudspeakers sometimes calling him out by name.

Despite a ceasefire struck last November aiming to put an end to more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah, Israel has kept up near-daily strikes on Lebanon.

In addition to hitting alleged militants, it has recently also targeted bulldozers, excavators and prefabricated houses, often saying they were part of efforts to restore Hezbollah infrastructure.

The bombing has prevented tens of thousands of people from returning to their homes, and has made rebuilding heavily-damaged border villages -- like Mazraani's Hula -- almost impossible.
"For us, the war has not ended," Mazraani, 61, told AFP.

"We can't return to our villages, rebuild or even check on our homes."

In cash-strapped Lebanon, authorities have yet to begin reconstruction efforts, and have been hoping for international support.
They have also blamed Israeli strikes for preventing efforts to rebuild, which the World Bank estimates could cost $11 billion.

Eager to go back home, Mazraani established the "Association of the Residents of Border Villages" to call for the return of displaced people and the start of reconstruction.

He even started making plans to rebuild homes he had previously designed.

But in October, Israeli drones flew over southern villages, broadcasting a message through loudspeakers.

They called out Mazraani by name and urged residents to expel him, implicitly accusing him of having ties with Hezbollah, which he denies.

Asked by AFP, the Israeli army would not say on what basis they accuse Mazraani of working with Hezbollah.

"They are bombing prefabricated houses, and not allowing anyone to get close to the border," said Mazraani, who has moved to Beirut for fear of Israel's threats.

"They are saying: no reconstruction before handing over the weapons," he added, referring to Israel's demand that Hezbollah disarm.

Amnesty International has estimated that "more than 10,000 structures were heavily damaged or destroyed" between October of last year -- when Israel launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon -- and late January.

It noted that much of the destruction followed the November 2024 truce that took effect after two months of open war.

Just last month, Israeli strikes destroyed more than 300 bulldozers and excavators in yards in the Msaileh area, one of which belonged to Ahmed Tabaja, 65.

Surrounded by burned-out machinery, his hands stained black, Tabaja said he hoped to repair just five of his 120 vehicles destroyed in the strikes -- a devastating loss amounting to five million dollars.

"Everyone knows there is nothing military here," he insisted.

The yards, located near the highway, are open and visible. "There is nothing to hide," he said.

In a nearby town, Hussein Kiniar, 32, said he couldn't believe his eyes as he surveyed the heavy machinery garage his father built 30 years ago.

He said Israel struck the family's yard twice: first during the war, and again in September after it was repaired. The first strike cost five million dollars, and the second added another seven million in losses, he estimated.

"I watched everything burn right before my eyes," Kiniar said.

The Israeli army said that day it had targeted "a Hezbollah site in the Ansariyah area of southern Lebanon, which stored engineering vehicles intended to rebuild the terrorist organization's capabilities and support its terrorist activity."

Kiniar denied that he or the site were linked to Hezbollah. "We are a civilian business," he said.

In October, Israel killed two engineers working for a company sanctioned by the United States over alleged Hezbollah ties.

Under US pressure and fearing an escalation in strikes, the Lebanese government has moved to begin disarming Hezbollah, a plan the movement and its allies oppose.

But Israel accuses Beirut of acting too slowly and, despite the stipulation in the ceasefire that it withdraw, it maintains troops in five areas in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, insists Israel pull back, stop its attacks and allow reconstruction to begin before it can discuss the fate of its weapons.

In the aftermath of the 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah spearheaded rebuilding in the south, with much of the effort financed by Iran.

But this time, the group's financial dealings have been under heightened scrutiny.

It has insisted the state should fund post-war reconstruction, and it has only paid compensation for its own associates' rent and repairs.

For three long seasons, olive grower Mohammed Rizk, 69, hasn't been able to cultivate his land.

He now lives with his son just outside the city of Nabatiyeh, having been forced out of his border village where his once-vibrant grove lies neglected.

"The war hasn't ended," he said. "It will only be over when we return home."

Arab World

Iraq's Sudani Secures 'Major Victory' in General Election: Sources Close to PM

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani holds a ballot paper to cast his vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Baghdad, Iraq, 11 November 2025. EPA/CEERWAN AZIZ
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani holds a ballot paper to cast his vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Baghdad, Iraq, 11 November 2025. EPA/CEERWAN AZIZ
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Iraq's Sudani Secures 'Major Victory' in General Election: Sources Close to PM

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani holds a ballot paper to cast his vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Baghdad, Iraq, 11 November 2025. EPA/CEERWAN AZIZ
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani holds a ballot paper to cast his vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Baghdad, Iraq, 11 November 2025. EPA/CEERWAN AZIZ

The list backing incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has scored a big win in parliament after elections, sources close to his alliance told AFP on Wednesday.

Sudani's "Reconstruction and Development list has secured a major victory" following the vote on Tuesday, an official close to the premier told AFP.

Another two sources said the premier's alliance has "won the largest bloc,” with approximately 50 seats.

Iraq's electoral commission is expected to announce preliminary results later this evening.

Iraqis cast their ballots on Tuesday, with a high turnout of more than 55 percent, a sharp jump from the record low of 41 percent in 2021.

Arab World

Syria’s Sharaa: Trump Backs our Position on Israel’s Withdrawal to Pre-Dec. 8 Borders

This handout photograph released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on November 10, 2025, shows Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC. (Handout/SANA/AFP)
This handout photograph released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on November 10, 2025, shows Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC. (Handout/SANA/AFP)
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Syria’s Sharaa: Trump Backs our Position on Israel’s Withdrawal to Pre-Dec. 8 Borders

This handout photograph released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on November 10, 2025, shows Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC. (Handout/SANA/AFP)
This handout photograph released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on November 10, 2025, shows Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC. (Handout/SANA/AFP)

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Monday he will preserve the right of the Syrian people to see ousted President Bashar al-Assad brought to justice.

Sharaa told the Washington Post that US President Donald Trump supports Syria’s position on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territories it occupied after December 8, the date of the regime’s ouster.

Sharaa held a historic meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday, the first by a Syrian president since the country gained its independence in 1946.

Asked about Israel’s repeated attacks against Syria, he said: “Syria got into war with Israel 50 years ago. Then, in 1974, there was a disengagement agreement. This agreement lasted for 50 years, but when the regime fell, Israel revoked this agreement. They expanded their presence in Syria, expelled the UN peacekeeping mission and occupied new territory.”

“They have conducted over 1,000 airstrikes in Syria since December 8, and that included bombing the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Defense. But because we want to rebuild Syria, we didn’t respond to these aggressions,” he added.

“The advances that Israel made into Syria are not coming from their security concerns, but from their expansionist ambitions,” Sharaa warned.

“Israel has always claimed that it has concerns about Syria because it is afraid of the threats that the Iranian militias and Lebanon’s Hezbollah represent. We are the ones who expelled those forces out of Syria,” he stressed.

He further continued: “We are engaged in direct negotiations with Israel, and we have gone a good distance on the way to reach an agreement. But to reach a final agreement, Israel should withdraw to their pre-December 8 borders.”

“The United States is with us in these negotiations, and so many international parties support our perspective in this regard. Today, we found that Trump supports our perspective as well, and he will push as quickly as possible in order to reach a solution for this,” he revealed.

Asked if Syria would agree to demilitarize the region south of Damascus, he replied: “To talk about an entire region demilitarized, it will be difficult, because if there is any kind of chaos, who will protect it? If this demilitarized zone was used by some parties as a launching pad for hitting Israel, who is going to be responsible for that?”

“And at the end of the day, this is Syrian territory, and Syria should have the freedom of dealing with their own territory,” Sharaa added.

“Israel occupied the Golan Heights in order to protect Israel, and now they are imposing conditions in the south of Syria in order to protect the Golan Heights. So, after a few years, maybe they will occupy the center of Syria in order to protect the south of Syria. They will reach Munich on that pathway,” he said.

Russia and Assad

Noting that Assad is in Moscow being essentially protected by the government of Vladimir Putin, Sharaa was asked if he had raised the issue with the Russians, to which he replied: “We were in war against Russia for 10 years, and it was a hard, difficult war. They announced that they killed me several times.”

However, “we need Russia because it’s a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. We need their vote to be on our side in some issues, and we have strategic interests with them. We don’t want to push Russia to take alternative or other options in dealing with Syria,” he explained.

“The issue of Bashar al-Assad is troublesome for Russia, and our relationship with them... we’re still in the beginning. We will preserve our rights as Syrians to call for bringing Assad to justice,” he declared.

Common interests with US

On his landmark visit to the White House, he said: “The most important objective is starting on - building the relationship between Syria and the US, because in the past 100 years, it wasn’t a very good relationship.”

“We were looking for common interest between the US and Syria, and we found that we have a lot of common interests that we can build on, such as security interests and economic interests. The stability of Syria will impact the entire region, and the instability of Syria, as well, will impact the region,” he went on to say.

“Stability is linked with the economy, and the economy, or economic development, is linked with the lifting of sanctions. This discussion has been going on for months now, and I believe that we reached good results. But we are still waiting for the final decision,” he remarked.

ISIS fight

On his past as a fighter in Iraq and Syria, Sharaa said: “Fighting is not something shameful if it is done for noble objectives, especially if you are defending your own land and the people who are suffering from injustice. I believe this is something good that people should be commended for. I have fought so many wars, but I have never caused the death of an innocent person.”

“When somebody engages in fighting, they should have a very strong ethical background. The region was affected by the policies - western policies and US policies - and today, we have so many Americans who agree with us that some of these policies were a mistake and that they caused so many wars that were pointless,” he stressed.

On the fight against ISIS, Sharaa said: “We were in a war with the group for 10 years, and we did that without coordination with a Western force or any other country. Syria today is capable of shouldering this responsibility. Keeping Syria divided or having any military force that is not under control of the government, represents the best environment for ISIS to flourish.”

“The best solution is that the US troops present in Syria should supervise the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into the central government’s security forces. The task of protecting Syrian territory will be the responsibility of the state,” he explained.