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French Frigate Downs Drones Over Red Sea

A French frigate - File photo by AFP
A French frigate - File photo by AFP
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French Frigate Downs Drones Over Red Sea

A French frigate - File photo by AFP
A French frigate - File photo by AFP

A French frigate shot down two drones in the Red Sea that were heading towards it from the coast of Yemen, the French military said on Sunday.

"The interception and destruction of these two identified threats" were carried out late Saturday by the frigate Languedoc, which operates in the Red Sea, the general staff said in a press release.

The interceptions happened at 2030 GMT and 2230 GMT, it added, and were 110 km (68 miles) from the Yemeni coast, AFP reported.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Saturday threatened to attack any vessels heading to Israeli ports unless food and medicine were allowed into the besieged Gaza Strip.

The latest warning comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters following a series of maritime attacks by Houthis since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

An American destroyer shot down three drones last week while providing assistance to commercial ships in the Red Sea targeted by attacks from Yemen, according to Washington, which denounced "a direct threat" to maritime security.

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Lebanese Prime Minister: No Turning Back on State Decision to Control All Arms

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
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Lebanese Prime Minister: No Turning Back on State Decision to Control All Arms

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized on Friday that Lebanon has succeeded at making a new promising start despite all the challenges facing the process of reform and restoring confidence in the state.

He said the government has a task of restoring the confidence of its people, Arab brethrens, its friends, and the whole world in Lebanon as a state.

Salam made his remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat before heading to Baghdad leading a delegation of officials to take part in the Arab summit. He will “convey a message of promise and hope” about Lebanon to the Arab leaders and their people, he said, expressing deep trust in the capability to make remarkable achievements.

On the message he plans to convey at the Arab summit, Salam said he and the accompanying delegation want to assure that Lebanon has returned to the Arab fold. Lebanon is relentlessly working to “return to the Arab and international map...We also want the Arab summit to help Lebanon in pressuring Israel to withdraw from the entire Lebanese territories” it is occupying.

Salam stressed that Hezbollah lawmakers have agreed to the ministerial statement - based on which the government garnered the parliament’s confidence- which clearly states that weapons are restricted to the state’s authority. “The government is working on achieving this goal”, he said.

The Prime Minister pointed to the army’s efforts in that regard. He said the military has deployed in South Lebanon and continues to dismantle military infrastructures and intensifies measures to control the border with Syria in order stop all kinds of smuggling, not to mention the security measures it has taken at the country’s airport.

Salam emphasized that there will be no turning back in the decision to limit weapons to the state’s control.

On Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Salam said that there is a major turning point happening in the region and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has succeeded at drawing itself a major player in international relations.