Yemen PM Stresses Need to End Iranian Meddling

Yemen's Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher attends a conference to raise funds for Yemen on April 25, 2017 at the United Nations office in Geneva. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP
Yemen's Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher attends a conference to raise funds for Yemen on April 25, 2017 at the United Nations office in Geneva. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP
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Yemen PM Stresses Need to End Iranian Meddling

Yemen's Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher attends a conference to raise funds for Yemen on April 25, 2017 at the United Nations office in Geneva. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP
Yemen's Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher attends a conference to raise funds for Yemen on April 25, 2017 at the United Nations office in Geneva. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Dagher has called for halting Iranian meddling in his country and ending the Houthi coup against legitimacy whether through a peace deal or a military solution.

According to Saba Net, bin Dagher said during a meeting on Thursday with the British ambassador to Yemen, Michael Aron, that the Yemeni government and people highly appreciate British efforts to achieve security and stability in Yemen.

He also praised UK’s support for the legitimate Yemeni government.

The prime minister briefed the newly-appointed diplomat on the situation in Yemen and UN and international efforts to solve the war politically.

Bin Dagher and Aron jointly stressed the importance of making the new UN envoy's mission successful.

The Yemeni prime minister stated that the legitimate government will deal constructively with UN initiatives for new consultations, provided that the militia proves its intention to solve the country’s crisis rather than trying to waste time.

Bin Dagher said: “The Arab Coalition’s intervention came in response to a call made by the legitimate Yemeni President after the Houthi militia took over several provinces, reaching Aden, Taiz and Marib.”

The Houthis “took up weapons against the State, cracked down on citizens and posed an existential threat to Yemen and its Arab neighbors and threatened international navigation ... to carry out Iran's agenda and plan in the region with the aim of blackmailing the international community,” he added.

The meeting also addressed the government's ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and normalize the situation in government-held areas.

For his part, the British ambassador reiterated support for Yemen’s unity, security and stability, and rejection of Iranian interference in the country’s affairs.



India’s Navy Launches Submarine, Warships to Guard against China’s Presence in Indian Ocean

A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
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India’s Navy Launches Submarine, Warships to Guard against China’s Presence in Indian Ocean

A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)

India's navy on Wednesday simultaneously launched a submarine, a destroyer and a frigate built at a state-run shipyard, underscoring the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country's trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Atlantic Ocean’s importance has shifted to the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming a center of international power rivalry.

“India is giving the biggest importance to making its navy powerful to protect its interests,” he said.

“The commissioning of three major naval combatants marks a significant leap forward in realizing India’s vision of becoming a global leader in defense manufacturing and maritime security,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while commissioning the vessels at the state-run Mazagon dockyard in Mumbai.

The situation in the Indian Ocean region is challenging with the Chinese navy, India’s main rival, growing exponentially, said Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst.

Bedi said that the INS Vagsheer submarine, the sixth among a French license-built Kalvari (Scorpene)-class conventional diesel-electric submarines, is aimed at replacing aging Indian underwater platforms and plugging serious capability gaps in existing ones. India now has a total of 16 submarines.

The P75 Scorpene submarine project represents India’s growing expertise in submarine construction in collaboration with the Naval Group of France, Bedi said.

India’s defense ministry is expected to conclude a deal for three additional Scorpene submarines to be built in India during Modi’s likely visit to Paris next month to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

However, the first of these boats, according to the Indian navy, is only likely to be commissioned by 2031.

India commissioned its first home-built aircraft carrier in 2022 to counter regional rival China’s much more extensive and growing fleet and expand its indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.

The INS Vikrant, whose name is a Sanskrit word for “powerful” or “courageous,” is India’s second operational aircraft carrier. It joins the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya, which India purchased from Russia in 2004 to defend the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.