US to Bolster Military Presence in Gulf

Fast-attack crafts from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf early hours of May 3, 2023, are seen in this screenshot of a video shot provided by US Navy on May 3, 2023. US Naval Forces Central Command / US 5th Fleet/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Fast-attack crafts from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf early hours of May 3, 2023, are seen in this screenshot of a video shot provided by US Navy on May 3, 2023. US Naval Forces Central Command / US 5th Fleet/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
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US to Bolster Military Presence in Gulf

Fast-attack crafts from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf early hours of May 3, 2023, are seen in this screenshot of a video shot provided by US Navy on May 3, 2023. US Naval Forces Central Command / US 5th Fleet/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Fast-attack crafts from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf early hours of May 3, 2023, are seen in this screenshot of a video shot provided by US Navy on May 3, 2023. US Naval Forces Central Command / US 5th Fleet/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

The United States said it was sending reinforcements to the Gulf after what it called increasing harassment by Iran of ships in the region’s waters.

The moves come after Iran seized two oil tankers in Gulf waters, and one of them was heading to the US.

"The Department of Defense will be making a series of moves to bolster our defensive posture in the Arabian Gulf," White House spokesperson John Kirby told a news briefing.

He added that there would be "details on those reinforcements in coming days."

Iran has harassed, attacked, or interfered with the navigational rights of 15 internationally flagged commercial vessels, Kirby said.

The Gulf waters have witnessed tension in the past years. The most recent was on the 3rd of May when Iran seized a Panama-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

The oil tanker had been traveling from Dubai toward the UAE’s Fujairah port when it was attacked by IRGCN boats, the Navy said.

"The United States will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through the Middle East waterways including the Strait of Hormuz," Kirby said.

About a fifth of the world's oil exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz.



Saudi FM Reiterates Kingdom’s Rejection of Displacement of Palestinians

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Reiterates Kingdom’s Rejection of Displacement of Palestinians

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah reiterated on Friday the Kingdom’s rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their territories.

During a news conference following the "Antalya Ministerial Meeting on the Two-State Solution and Permanent Peace in the Middle East" in Türkiye, he stressed the importance of an immediate return to the ceasefire in Gaza.

The ceasefire must be sustainable, serve as a path to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza, and be the beginning of a final solution to the Palestinian cause through the establishment of a Palestinian state, he declared.

"The entry of aid to Gaza cannot be linked to a ceasefire, as this violates the foundations of international law, and preventing aid from reaching the Gaza Strip and using it as a tool of war is also a flagrant violation of all norms and the foundations of international law and is rejected by all," Prince Faisal said.

He called on the international community to exert all pressure to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza without interruption and in sufficient quantities.

He expressed the Kingdom's categorical rejection of all forms of displacement of the Palestinian people from their lands, even if it is through voluntary departure, considering that the Palestinians in Gaza are being deprived of most necessities of life.

"If aid is not entering, if the residents of Gaza are deprived of food, drink, and electricity, and if they are threatened every day with military bombardment, then even if one of them is forced to leave, that is not voluntary but a form of coercion. Therefore, it must be clear that any displacement of Palestinians in Gaza under any pretext is categorically rejected," he added.

Prince Faisal stressed that the Arab and Islamic group is committed to a comprehensive peace that guarantees the security of all in the region and guarantees the rights, security, and future of the Palestinian people within the framework of their independent state.