US Strikes at Houthi Targets in Yemen

FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa
FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa
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US Strikes at Houthi Targets in Yemen

FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa
FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa

US military forces have struck at targets in Houthi-controlled Yemen in the past 24 hours, destroying two drones, a Houthi ground control station, and three anti-ship cruise missiles, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Earlier, the Iran-aligned Houthis said they had attacked a container ship in the Red Sea and two US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday.

"These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to US and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement on the US strikes.

It said this "reckless and dangerous behavior" by the Houthis threatened regional stability, but it gave no further details and did not confirm that any US vessels had been attacked.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said earlier that the Houthi air force had launched drones against the US destroyer Cole and fired a number of ballistic missiles at the US destroyer Laboon on Wednesday.

The Liberia-flagged container ship Contship Ono was also targeted with ballistic missiles and drones, he said.

Contships Management in Athens told Reuters the vessel had not been hit and its crew were safe.

A US official said there was no data or information to corroborate the Houthis' claim that the two warships had been attacked.



Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
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Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
Syrians wave the independence-era flag after Friday Noon prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus on December 20, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) said on Saturday, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.
The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step "comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability.”
No details were immediately available about Shibani.
Syria's de facto ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has actively engaged with foreign delegations since assuming power, including hosting the UN's Syria envoy and senior US diplomats.
Sharaa has signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically with international envoys, saying his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development. He has said he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.
The United States, other Western powers and many Syrians were glad to see groups led by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) topple Assad.