US Reaffirms Commitment to Peaceful Future in Libya

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AP)
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AP)
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US Reaffirms Commitment to Peaceful Future in Libya

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AP)
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AP)

The US Embassy in Libya asserted its commitment to ensuring a peaceful future for all Libyans, congratulating them on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.

“We send our warmest greetings to all those celebrating Eid al-Adha in Libya, the United States, and around the globe, and reaffirm the US commitment to a peaceful future for all Libyans,” the embassy tweeted.

Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh also congratulated Libyans on the occasion of the Eid. In a statement, he wished the country would enjoy security and its people would unite to advance towards prosperity and construction.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Defense published photographs of Turkish military personnel training forces affiliated with the Libyan unity government within the framework of the army training, cooperation, and consultancy agreement.

The Turkish elements provided sniper training to Libyan soldiers, according to the statement.

In other news, the Man-Made River Authority (MMRA) reported that the water well in the southern field of the Al-Hasawna-Al-Jafara site had been vandalized.

The Authority indicated in a statement that the well has a daily production of more than 5,000 cubic meters.

It further underscored that such attacks put the entire system at risk, warning that many cities and agricultural projects will experience an interruption in water supplies if no action is taken.

Furthermore, the head of the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Tripoli, ambassador Mohamed Tharwat Selim, announced that 140 Egyptian citizens stranded in Tripoli have been deported.

Selim indicated that the deportees include 17 children, saying the Egyptian embassy completed their paperwork after diplomats visited them several times in detention centers in Libya.

The deportees had medical checkups and carried out PCR tests before being sent back home, the ambassador said.



Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
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Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 

As the Houthi threat to international shipping grows ever more serious - most recently with the sinking of two Greek vessels, killing three sailors and leaving twelve missing - there has been little substantial reaction from major world powers. The United States, Germany’s foreign minister, and the UN envoy to Yemen were among the few to voice concern and call for de-escalation.

While Houthi attacks intensify across the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, insurance premiums for commercial ships in these waters have surged to as much as 1% of a vessel’s value, according to leading global insurers. This underscores the scale of the risk and the declining confidence in protecting this vital maritime corridor.

The two assaults targeted the cargo ships Magic Seas and True Confidence between Sunday and Tuesday last week. According to the EU naval mission Aspides, tasked with safeguarding Red Sea navigation, the attacks killed at least three sailors, wounded others, and left a dozen unaccounted for.

The strike on the Liberian-flagged Greek-operated True Confidence marked a dangerous escalation. The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they used an explosive-laden drone boat and six ballistic and cruise missiles. They alleged the ship was heading to Israel’s port of Eilat, though independent verification was lacking.

Despite the scale of the violence, most global capitals limited their responses to brief statements. Only the US ambassador to the UN issued a pointed condemnation, along with remarks from a State Department spokesperson and a statement by UN envoy Hans Grundberg.

The US denounced the attacks as “terrorist and unjustified,” describing them as evidence of the “ongoing threat posed by Iranian-backed Houthis to regional maritime security and commerce.” The US ambassador stressed Washington’s commitment to denying the Houthis resources to fund such operations and called on the UN Security Council to remove obstacles blocking its expert monitoring teams in Yemen.

The State Department likewise condemned the attacks as a threat to the freedom of navigation and economic stability. “We will continue to take necessary steps to protect commercial shipping,” the statement warned, urging the broader international community to condemn the Houthis’ actions.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Iran must use its influence to halt Houthi attacks. Speaking in Vienna alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts, he declared: “We strongly condemn these attacks and expect Iran to act to stop them.”

UN envoy Grundberg expressed deep concern about the sinking of True Confidence, warning of the humanitarian and environmental consequences of such operations, which violate international law and Security Council Resolution 2722. He urged the Houthis to provide sustainable guarantees to end attacks and build on prior understandings with the United States.

Oman had brokered a limited agreement last May under which the Houthis pledged to stop targeting American ships in return for a suspension of broad US-led military action - though the deal excluded Israel.

A Dangerous Precedent

Yemeni officials say the tepid reactions from much of the world send the Houthis the wrong message, reinforcing their sense of impunity. On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi boasted in his weekly address about sinking the vessels, calling it a “clear lesson” to any shipping company doing business with Israel.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 150 attacks, disrupting global trade flows through the Red Sea. Their operations have sunk British and Greek ships and damaged many more, including hijacking the Galaxy Leader and holding its crew for over a year.