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Saudi-Led Coalition Thwarts Houthi Terror Plot in Red Sea

The USS Mason (DDG 87), a guided missile destroyer, arrives at Port Canaveral, Florida REUTERS/Karl Ronstrom/File photo
The USS Mason (DDG 87), a guided missile destroyer, arrives at Port Canaveral, Florida REUTERS/Karl Ronstrom/File photo
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Saudi-Led Coalition Thwarts Houthi Terror Plot in Red Sea

The USS Mason (DDG 87), a guided missile destroyer, arrives at Port Canaveral, Florida REUTERS/Karl Ronstrom/File photo
The USS Mason (DDG 87), a guided missile destroyer, arrives at Port Canaveral, Florida REUTERS/Karl Ronstrom/File photo

Houthis are training divers on planting mines, according to a coalition source, who added that mines were only introduced into Yemen after Houthis and Saleh militias

Saudi-led Coalition forces foiled a Houthi plot on the Yemeni island of Bawadi against international maritime lines, according to Coalition Spokesman Turki al-Malki.

“The impending attack included plans to use booby-trapped boats and a group of divers to plant naval mines,” Malki said.

Houthi members on Bawadi island were attacked, as they planned violent operations targeting international shipping routes and international trade, reported alarabiya.net which quoted Malki.

The source, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, stated that the plan was that the island will be the starting point for the attack.

Earlier on November 07, Houthis militias' spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam threatened to target international shipping in the Red Sea, while head of the Supreme Political Council, Saleh al-Samad, showcased "Bab al-Mandeb" missiles.

Such weapons indicate that Iran regime continue to support Houthis, according to the source, who added that the mines are planted on 70 cm below sea level which is dangerous since the mines could be washed away with the sea movement causing an environmental crisis if they hit oil carriers.

The strategic Bawadi island is 24 kilometers away from western coast of Yemen and 9 kilometers northwest of Kimran island. The source explained that the island is not inhabited and thus it could be used as a launching point for attacks against international maritime.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat information, the coalition is taking a huge responsibility on behalf of the international society. The coalition exerts efforts to uncover mines and destroying it, as well as ensuring the stability and security of the international shipping routes and international trade.

Earlier, Houthis targeted US destroyer USS Mason, al-Madinah class frigate of the Saudi Royal Navy, and UAE Swift transport vessel. They also targeted vital locations in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, in addition to attacks on Mocha port, west of Yemen.

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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)

Italy plans to send an ambassador back to Syria after a decade-long absence, the country’s foreign minister said, in a diplomatic move that could spark divisions among European Union allies.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country.

Moscow is considered a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has remained in power despite widespread Western isolation and civilian casualties since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011.

Peaceful protests against the Assad government — part of the so-called “Arab Spring” popular uprisings that spread across some of the Middle East — were met by a brutal crackdown, and the uprising quickly spiraled into a full-blown civil war.

The conflict was further complicated by the intervention of foreign forces on all sides and a rising militancy, first by al-Qaida-linked groups and then the ISIS group until its defeat on the battlefield in 2019.

The war, which has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, is now largely frozen, despite ongoing low-level fighting.

The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus-based government of Assad, various opposition groups and Syrian Kurdish forces.

In the early days of the conflict, many Western and Arab countries cut off relations with Syria, including Italy, which has since managed Syria-related diplomacy through its embassy in Beirut.

However, since Assad has regained control over most of the territory, neighboring Arab countries have gradually restored relations, with the most symbolically significant move coming last year when Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League.

Tajani said Thursday the EU’s policy in Syria should be adapted to the “development of the situation,” adding that Italy has received support from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Slovakia.

However, the US and allied countries in Europe have largely continued to hold firm in their stance against Assad’s government, due to concerns over human rights violations.