Yemeni Armed Forces Ready to Secure Bab al-Mandab, Strategic Waterways

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Governor of Marib and Chief of Staff during a previous visit to the fronts in Marib (Saba)
Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Governor of Marib and Chief of Staff during a previous visit to the fronts in Marib (Saba)
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Yemeni Armed Forces Ready to Secure Bab al-Mandab, Strategic Waterways

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Governor of Marib and Chief of Staff during a previous visit to the fronts in Marib (Saba)
Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Governor of Marib and Chief of Staff during a previous visit to the fronts in Marib (Saba)

Brigadier General Abdo Magli, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, confirmed their capability to counter Houthi threats and secure vital waterways, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key global trade route.
He highlighted the urgency of regional and international efforts to address ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial and oil vessels in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, which threaten international trade stability.
Magli noted that Houthi assaults on maritime navigation align with Iran’s regional ambitions and exacerbate Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, undermining peace efforts. He called for decisive global action to curb the militia’s threats and maintain the safety of strategic trade routes.
On the ground, the Yemeni Armed Forces recently repelled Houthi infiltration attempts in several fronts in Marib and Taiz. Magli reported that the army neutralized Houthi artillery attacks and monitored militia movements, maintaining strong defensive positions. He also highlighted ongoing Houthi attacks on civilian areas in Taiz, describing the militia’s use of artillery and drones as part of their broader aggression.
The spokesperson underscored the growing strength and professionalism of the Yemeni Armed Forces, emphasizing their readiness to confront Houthi militias and their Iranian-backed agenda. He also warned of the Houthis’ continued mobilization in areas under their control, aimed at subjugating the Yemeni population.
Magli called for international cooperation to end the Houthi militia’s aggression, which threatens regional stability and global trade. He reaffirmed the Yemeni military’s commitment to securing the country’s waterways and protecting its people from ongoing threats.

 

 



Pope Calls Situation in Gaza 'Shameful'

Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
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Pope Calls Situation in Gaza 'Shameful'

Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Palestinians carry the dead body of a child, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Pope Francis on Thursday stepped up his recent criticisms of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful.”

In a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide, Francis appeared to reference deaths caused by winter cold in Gaza, where there is almost no electricity.

"We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians," the text said, according to Reuters.
"We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country's energy network has been hit."

The pope, 88, was present for the address but asked an aide to read it for him as he is recovering from a cold.

The comments were part of an address to Vatican-accredited envoys from some 184 countries that is sometimes called the pope's 'state of the world' speech. The Israeli ambassador to the Holy See was among those present for the event.

Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, is usually careful about taking sides in conflicts.
But he has recently been more outspoken about Israel's military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas, and has suggested
the global community should study whether the offensive constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people.
An Israeli government minister publicly denounced the pontiff in December for that suggestion.

The pope's text said he condemns anti-Semitism, and called the growth of anti-Semitic groups "a source of deep concern."
Francis also called for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia, which has killed tens of thousands.